It was the third consecutive month of declines for the trade surplus, however, the early start of this years Lunar New Year holiday could have affected exports.

　　Workers in coastal factories tend to begin travelling home in the two weeks before the official holiday begins, and this year some workers are reported to have won extra holiday concessions from factories in the South who remain desperate for staff.

　　Although Japan remains around 10 times richer on a per-capita basis, according to the International Monetary Fund, the reponse to the news by the Japanese public was one for resignation.

　　The gap will widen from now on, said Takehide Yoshiura, a 43-year-old salaryman in Tokyos Shimbashi district.

　　Naomasa Mitsuishi, also 45, said: I have no strong feelings about China surpassing Japan, because Japan has little room left for GDP growth compared to China.

【雅思阅读材料：China is the world's second largest economy】相关文章：

★ 雅思阅读：定位词

★ 雅思阅读素材—The screw tightens

★ 雅思阅读：俯瞰reading 题型概述

★ 雅思阅读素材—Lost decade

★ 雅思阅读范文Whose lost decade

★ 雅思阅读素材—Hustling spires

★ 雅思阅读素材—Game lessons

★ 雅思阅读材料法国呼吁市民笑脸迎游客

★ 雅思阅读素材—Coarse work

★ 雅思阅读素材—The euro-zone