Passage 1
Already though, China’s commercial strength is starting to worry competitors. Last year China’s trade surplus surged, buoyed by exports of toys, textiles and consumer electronics. Its trade surplus with the United States hit a record $18

Passage 1
Already though, China’s commercial strength is starting to worry competitors. Last year China’s trade surplus surged, buoyed by exports of toys, textiles and consumer electronics. Its trade surplus with the United States hit a record $18 billion. Only Japan’s was larger. With the U.S. Congress due to consider the renewal of China’s most-favored nation trade status in June, officials in Beijing fear the trade imbalance could surpass human rights as a source of U.S. opposition to preferred status for China. “【The trade surplus itself will be the No. 1 problem】 this year,” says one Chinese official. “After Japan, we’ll be 【first in line for retaliation】.”
37.Why would trade surplus be a problem?

One country's trade surplus would-be some other country's trade deficit.If it's too big, it would be loss for the importer, both financially and economically.