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They expected China to grow in a way that would lead to the "west" exerting much more control over China than they ended up with today. Basically they wanted more western-style capitalism, reduction of state control, etc...

Now China is very strong, and the west exerts very little influence

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China is weak, its current economic engines of real estate and internal consumption has failed. It is currently heavily dependent on export, of which, sanctions and tariffs on China would wreck their economy.

They account for 30% of global manufacturing, have the second largest GDP (largest GDP PPP), and are rapidly developing in the tech sector. Not weak by any means

China would have a hard time economically without being able to sell to the US. But it's been developing markets and economies in Rest of World, especially Africa. And its internal market is huge.

Meanwhile this is a thread about the US tech and retail sectors being unable to survive at all without imports from China.

Turns out offshoring was one of the most self-harmingly stupid decisions in US economic history.

Still - at least it prevented worker unionisation. So that was such a win for corporate America.

"tariffs"

My memory is not very good, but it seems that something similar has happened 4 years ago, do you remember?

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