Japan's trade balance returned to a surplus in the last year for the first time in two years, though exports declined at a record pace due to the global economic downturn and China overtook the United States as Japan's biggest trading partner, government data showed Thursday. The surplus stood at 5.23 trillion yen for fiscal 2009 through March 31, compared with a deficit of 764.85 billion yen the previous year. But while the balance turned positive, it was the smallest surplus in 26 years, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.