This development has received relatively little attention in the US and other trading partners, which is curious, given that, two decades ago, Japan’s big trade surplus was the subject of intense focus and worry – just like China’s now. At the time, some influential commentators warned that the Japanese had discovered a superior economic model, featuring strategic trade policy (among other attractions), and that the rest of us had better emulate them.
相对而言，日本的这一趋势并未引起美国和其他贸易伙伴关注，这着实令人新奇，因为二十年前日本的巨额贸易盈余让西方如临大敌，一如现在的中国。当时是，一些有影响的观察者警告说，日本人已经找到了超级经济模式，该模式（除了其他具有吸引力的方面外）以战略性贸易为特征，其他国家最好以日本为师。不管真是如此，还是日本人在“作弊”，我们都必须阻止他们。