How much do you think it costs to make a pair of Nike shoes in Asia?

Americans need to get over their view of “Asia” as being about making shoes. When I was working in engineering in the early aughts, we mocked the Chinese as being able only to copy American technology. Today, China is competitive with or ahead of America in key technology areas, including nuclear power, AI, EVs, and batteries.

We need to anticipate a future where China is equal to America on a per capita basis, but four times bigger. Is that a world where “Designed by Apple in California, Made in China” still makes sense? What will be America’s competitive edge in that scenario?

What seems most likely to me in the future is that the US will find itself in the same position the UK is in now. Dominating finance and services won’t mean anything when both the IP and the physical products are being produced somewhere else.

Their population is declining, and they are a long way away from parity with the west on a per-capita basis. I think China missed their opportunity.

Also, the UK hasn't dominated finance for a century and has never been dominant in services, so it doesn't seem like an apt comparison.

> I think China missed their opportunity.

I think so too prior to the Trump tarrifs. Now their influence abroad is picking up steam again, with former WW2 enemies now becoming trade allies. I think this has reinvigorated their opportunity.

China hasn't changed, as their new "partners" will be reminded of soon enough.

I suspect they will squander the opportunity the US unforced error has provided, but we'll see.

The partners didn’t want to establish strong trade ties because of national animus between their peoples stemming from WW2 and regional security concerns, not because China is an unreliable trading partner. From what I’ve read, China is actually a very reliable trading partner and generally asks a lot less of countries than the US does. Obviously that’s how they attempt to gain influence and leverage in US spheres of influence longer term to make larger asks, but most politicians only think of short term consequences.