Yup. When Japan was challenging the US in the 80s, there were pervasive smear campaigns, and this was towards essentially a US vassal. It culminated in the Plaza Accords, which stagnated Japan.
Did they stagnate? Isn’t Japan one of the most advanced and prosperous countries in history? And this despite being hit with two atomic bombs even...
It is both true that they stagnated and are one of the most prosperous countries. Their rate of growth was unsustainably high for a period before the 90's.
They have continued productivity growth, but the working-age population is shrinking, so it evens out to stagnation.
Nationalism is a glorified tribalism which causes war, death by the millions but in return provides a mechanism of competition which improves/pushes human race forward. What a monstrous dichotomy!
'stagnated' I don't even know what that means
They stagnated because of several reasons other than just the Plaza accord.
Like real estate bubble, culture and isolationism, ageing population, etc.
Are you implying that china doesn't steal trade secrets?