China has toppled America to become the biggest economy in the world, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.
The White House seemed caught flat-footed by the news, crowing on Wednesday about America’s relative economic strength in comparison with the rest of the world.
The US has been the global leader since it overtook Britain in 1872, but has now lost its status as top dog.
The latest IMF figures show the Chinese economy is worth $17.61 trillion compared with $17.4 trillion for the U.S.