China's High-Tech Exports: The Myth and Reality

• DOI: 10.1162/asep_a_00256
• Publication Date: 2014-02-20T13:14:51Z
• Authors: Yuqing Xing
• Keywords: High tech; Laptop; Value (mathematics); Position (finance); Trade war

Trade statistics portray China as the largest exporter of high-tech products. This paper demonstrates that China's leading position in exports is a myth created by outdated trade statistics, which are inconsistent with based on global supply chains. Current mistakenly credit entire values assembled products to China, thus greatly inflating its exports. adopted value-added approach more accurately measure exports, revealing that, 2009, valueadded accounted for only about 3 percent total value attributed iPhones and laptop PCs. Furthermore, if assembly source Chinese workers, terms technological contribution, these indifferent from labor-intensive products, so they should be excluded classification.