China’s manufacturing push reflects long-term industrial strategy amid US-China rivalry, not Trump’s visit alone
Original framing: “After Trump visit, China’s top party journal doubles down on manufacturing push” — South China Morning Post
China’s current manufacturing emphasis is the latest iteration of a century-long project to reclaim industrial sovereignty, from the 'Self-Strengthening Movement' (1860s) to Mao’s 'Great Leap Forward' and Deng’s export-led growth. The 'Made in China 2025' plan mirrors Japan’s MITI (1980s) and South Korea’s chaebol model, where state planning targeted strategic sectors. However, China’s scale and integration into global supply chains make its approach uniquely disruptive to Western industrial bases.
China’s manufacturing push is not a reaction to Trump’s visit but a continuation of a century-long project to reclaim industrial sovereignty, shaped by Maoist legacies, Deng-era reforms, and Xi’s 'dual circulation' strategy.
The narrative’s focus on 'real economy' obscures how state-led capitalism distorts global supply chains, prioritizing geopolitical control over ecological and social sustainability. Indigenous critiques and marginalized laborers—from Uyghur factory workers to Zhejiang SMEs—are erased by a discourse that frames manufacturing as a unifying national project. Future scenarios hinge on whether China can transition to high-value, green manufacturing or remain trapped in overcapacity and environmental debt. The solution lies in decoupling growth from harm, empowering workers, and reimagining industrial policy through regional cooperation and indigenous wisdom, lest the 'real economy' become a global Ponzi scheme of extraction and inequality.