China's trade surplus rises to a record $676.4B in 2021 Nation World News

BEIJING ( Associated Press) — China's politically volatile global trade surplus rose to $676.4 billion in 2021, possibly the most for any country, as exports jumped 29.9% from a year ago despite a shortage of semiconductors interrupted manufacturing. The country's monthly trade surplus in December rose 20.8% from a year earlier to a record $94.4 billion, customs data showed on Friday. China piled up a series of monthly export surpluses in 2021, but they drew less criticism from the United States and other trading partners than in prior years, while their governments focused on coronavirus infections. Exports rose to $3.3…