Huh? I've been able to buy reasonably priced glasses for all my life. (However, I've never lived in the US nor China.)
Frames could literally cost 1 dollar (only happened after china entered this market), but good luck finding ones like this with good lenses.
You need to buy from one supplier who intentionally offers cheapest frames for 50+ dollars and those frames look like crap. The ones that look better (even if same plastic) cost 500+ dollars - and all due to price gouging.
For lenses I am not sure, but suspect something similar.
Fielmann in Germany has been offering very reasonably priced glasses and frames for ages.