How America Funded China’s Rise

Substack ^ | June 30, 2025 | Spencer P. Morrison

[LibertyFound]

Economists say freer trade benefits everyone—even trade with China. America gets cheap goods and China gets money. Win-win.

Even if we assume America benefits—which is a false assumption as proven in my book Reshore—China has clearly benefited more. For example, China’s economy has grown by an average of 8.12% since joining the World Trade Organization since 2001—about four times greater than America’s.

China and America benefited asymmetrically from trade.

Asymmetry may not be a problem economically, but it is a problem politically. Why?

Power is zero-sum.

The strong China grows, the weaker America becomes relative to China. As such, trade with China is also a political issue. The question we should be asking ourselves is whether cheap goods are worth surrendering America’s political dominance.

In this article, we explore just how America’s foolish—often nefarious—elites enriched, empowered, and emboldened China.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: america; china; economics; hahasubstack; tariffs

[LibertyFound]

Another thing to remember is that the trade deficit is paid for mainly by selling debt. This boosts demand for USD which is another way that wealth is shuffled from normal people (who have savings and earn their income in USD) to the elites, whose wealth is held not in USD, but in real estate, stocks, bonds, crypto etc.

[SmokingJoe]

“For example, China's economy has grown by an average of 8.12% since joining the World Trade Organization since 2001—about four times greater than America's”

All Asian developing countries like Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia etc grew much faster than America or Europe because they were still developing and growing.

[rlmorel]

I am halfway through the book-very good, but hard to look in the mirror. My tagline is a direct offshoot from the discussion in his book.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon: “I created a monster”.

[rlmorel]

A fitting reference indeed...

[cva66snipe]

How? Nixon shoulda stayed home. Da Bushes were up to their necks in pro-China pandering as was Slick Willy, Obozo, and Biden. All aided and helped China become the threat it is today. They sold U.S. out.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[logi_cal869]

bkmk

[Libloather]

Brandon gave back the bribe loot?

[Albion Wilde]

bump