A free market just means that people are allowed to buy and sell what they want. If a government decides to help some industries that is irrelevant.
It stops being free when government attacks economic activity, not when it promotes it.
It stops being free when government attacks economic activity, not when it promotes it.
In this regard, the Chinese government pouring large subsidies into solar panel production both spurred the economic activity around installing solar panels, and attacked / thwarted in around production of the panels themselves, if the production happens outside China. Only the US was able to somehow develop solar panel production.
Thats competition. It is a feature of markets.
not a bug.
No buyer has power to set prices and no seller does either.