China to surpass U.S. by 2049: report

Experts at a Chinese think tank said China is likely to surpass the United States in an all-around way by 2049, the year the People's Republic of China will celebrate its centennial anniversary.

According to a report released Tuesday by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be realized and the country will surpass the U.S. as long as it nurtures sound "national health."

The report defines "national health" as the overall operational condition of a country, using resource sufficiency and wealth distribution as the major criteria.

National health is the greatest form of capital China can use to surpass the U.S., the report said.

The report said China's national health has been better than that of the U.S. since 2007, adding that its superior health will further expand in 2019, when China is expected to become the world's biggest economy.

The report includes assessments of the national health of 100 countries, analyzing factors such as natural and economic immunity, national decision-making and enforcement capacity and national responsibilities. The countries were also classified into four categories in terms of their national health status.

China was ranked 11 with a national health status of "up to standard," while the U.S., Japan and Britain were given a status of "health deficient" among 37 countries.

Sweden, Finland and Australia were ranked among the top 10 countries with a status of "surplus health."

Ethiopia, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan were ranked at the bottom due to their "weak health condition," according to the report.

The report said that the U.S. health status is deteriorating in tandem with its economic downturn, despite the fact that the U.S. is still a nation of wealth and power.

China's national health is ascending due to its advantageous economic immunity, capacity for regulation and credibility, the report said.

However, China's weak innovation, social inequality, corruption and inadequate resources will challenge the growth of its national health, the report said.