US can't compete with China's technology, so it wages economic war
Mar 6, 2024
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Ben Norton, a commentator on China's emergence as an industrial powerhouse, dives into why the U.S. is escalating economic hostilities against China. He explains how China has become the world's leading manufacturer and is dominating green technologies like solar energy. Norton critiques the hypocrisy of the West regarding climate policies while highlighting the contradictions in its approach to free trade. He suggests that the U.S. is struggling to compete due to its neoliberal model, as Chinese state-led industrial development thrives.
The United States is engaging in a bipartisan economic war against China to combat its dominant manufacturing and technological advancements.
The clash between Western neoliberal capitalism and China's state-led socialism exemplifies the hypocrisy of developed nations in their trade policies.
Deep dives
Economic Warfare and Political Dynamics
The United States is engaging in an economic war against China, driven by both major political parties. This conflict has intensified as leaders like Trump and Biden have proposed aggressive policies, including steep tariffs on Chinese imports, which could decimate trade valued at around $575 billion. The Biden administration's push for export restrictions and the consideration of tariffs on specific sectors like electric vehicles further highlight the bipartisan consensus against China. This shift illustrates a growing antagonism in Washington fueled by concerns over China's expanding economic influence and manufacturing capabilities.
China's Manufacturing Dominance
China has emerged as the world's manufacturing powerhouse, responsible for 35% of global production, surpassing the combined output of the next nine competitors. As of 2016, China became the largest economy, and its growth trajectory indicates further economic supremacy, including a potential overtaking of the U.S. GDP. This dominance in manufacturing has sparked fears in the U.S. about declining economic hegemony, prompting aggressive policy measures designed to curb China's technological advancements. Additionally, many American industries, particularly textiles and electronics, stand to suffer significant repercussions as trade tensions escalate.
The Clash of Economic Models
The competition between the U.S. and China exemplifies a struggle between contrasting economic systems: Western neoliberal capitalism and China's state-led socialist model. The Financial Times emphasizes that China's successful industrial policy, characterized by state support and significant subsidies, poses a challenge to Western market-oriented capitalism, which is now resorting to similar protectionist tactics. Notably, as tech giants like Tesla face competition from China's electric vehicle sector, industry leaders demand protective measures that contradict their previous advocacy for free market principles. This irony reveals the inability of Western corporations to compete with China's technologically advanced industries.
Hypocrisy in Trade Policies
While Western nations preach free trade, their actions highlight a stark contradiction, particularly regarding subsidies and protectionist measures. The U.S. and EU's criticisms of China's industrial strategy reflect hypocrisy, as these nations simultaneously subsidize their own green technologies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. This inconsistency reveals that developed nations revert to protectionism when faced with competition that threatens their economic interests. Jake Sullivan's admission of the Washington consensus's failures underscores the need for state intervention in industrial development, challenging the myth of free trade as the optimal path to economic prosperity.
Why is the United States waging economic war on China? Ben Norton discusses how China became the world's industrial superpower and a leader in important technologies, why the US is unable to compete, and the clash between Western neoliberal capitalism and Chinese socialism.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c3ngd__0ok0
China is now the 'world's sole manufacturing superpower': https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/01/31/china-world-manufacturing-superpower-production/
Topics
0:00 Bipartisan US economic war
2:19 China is world's #1 manufacturer
4:28 Clash of systems
6:29 Elon Musk laughed at Chinese competitors. Now they're beating him.
9:27 TikTok: Why US wants to ban it
10:56 EU threatens tariffs on China
11:20 West's hypocrisy on climate change
12:25 Solar panels: China installs more than rest of world combined
13:46 Clean energy is top driver of China's growth
14:56 China leads world in green transition
16:57 Neoliberal West can't outcompete China's state-led industrial development
18:27 The death of "free market" dogma
20:31 The myth of "free trade"
23:23 US opposes industrial policy when China does it
29:10 "Washington Consensus" failed, Washington admits
38:01 Ronald Reagan's trade war on Japan
43:25 Outro
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