With 9.3 million cars produced, China surpassed the U.S. in production last year and will overtake Japan this year to become the world leader, according to a forecast issued by iSuppli Corp. March 26. Its overtaking of the U.S. was a "major milestone in China's economic ascendancy and the U.S.'s industrial decline," said Egil Juliussen, Director and Fellow, Automotive Research, iSuppli. He noted that while the U.S. has been outsourcing production, China has been increasing domestic production—doubling it over the past five years. Although production in China is expected to fall to 8.7 million units in 2009, even greater production declines in the rest of the world, including Japan, will leave it standing at the top, according to iSuppli.