China’s trade surplus with the United States last year rose to a record high, a statistic that is unlikely to help ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies. The figure rose 8.6 per cent year on year to US$275.8 billion, or about 65 per cent of China’s total global trade surplus, the General Administration of Customs said on Friday. In December alone, China’s exports to the US rose 10.4 per cent to US$429.7 billion, while its imports of American goods increased by 13.9 per cent to US$153.9 billion, the customs agency said. China’s overall imports for the month missed market expectations, rising just 4.5 ... (full story)