经济数据变成了目的：美国新增就业人数虚增了2倍，GDP夸大了28%

Group 1 - Economic data, originally a tool for understanding the economy and formulating macro policies, has become a goal in itself, primarily aimed at boosting GDP [1] - The majority of economic statistical indicators, including GDP, were invented post-World War II, rooted in Keynesian macroeconomic theory [1] - Historical economic systems, such as China's self-sufficient agrarian economy, did not generate GDP as it is understood today, since GDP relies on market transactions [2] Group 2 - Recent adjustments to U.S. non-farm payroll data revealed a downward revision of 910,000 jobs, indicating a significant discrepancy in employment statistics [4] - The U.S. GDP grew from $21.1 trillion in 2020 to $29.7 trillion in 2024, a 41% increase, while China's GDP rose from $14.7 trillion to $18.9 trillion, a 29% increase, leading to a decrease in China's global GDP share [5] - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the U.S. increased by a cumulative 23% from 2020 to 2024, compared to only 6% in China, necessitating adjustments to GDP comparisons between the two countries [7] Group 3 - Real GDP growth, which excludes price changes, is a more accurate measure of economic performance, revealing that from 2020 to 2024, the U.S. actual GDP was approximately $23.8 trillion while China's was about $18.3 trillion, indicating a 7 percentage point increase in China's GDP share [8][10] - The article suggests that the manipulation of economic data serves to maintain public confidence and uphold national prestige, particularly in the context of U.S. economic statistics post-pandemic [10]