our own fault. In many things they can develop and produce, faster and cheaper.
They can do that because they are so far that manage to build end to end industrial production ecosystems. Off shoring already been done since 70's. Japanese has been done that since that era to other nations in SEA since 70's. However what they or US and Euro brand done is off shoring end process leveraging cheaper costs.
That's what being done to China in 80's and 90's. However unlike other nations in Global South, China manage to build entire ecosystems. They manage not only build end process, but end to end process.
In early last decade I have opportunity to talk with one of Hyundai top executives. I ask him do you think any ASEAN nations able to build their own car brand to the level South Korean done ? He say honestly he is doubt that, as he says you guys only interested and seems satisfied to build end process. You like to have fancy big assembly lines, but you don't have enough interest to build raw materials processing and middle parts industries.
ROK do that in 70's, China begin to do that in 80's, while the rest of Asia and even Latin America satisfied to become final process lines. Now with the talk of
Friendshoring to circumstances US barriers on Chinese goods, most of Asia and Latin America again seems happy to become end process manufacturers lines (as the
Reuters article before shown). End process of the ecosystems.
While China so far manage to keep their ecosystems intact, and even become suppliers toward those nations that now become new end manufacturers lines. The tarrif only check where the good coming from. Only check where the final assembly lines is. Import duties will not check if the Laptops from India using mother boards or LCD's from China. They will not check whether the shoes from Vietnam and Bangladesh using materials from China. While China assides keeping their middle ecosystems also end assembly for products designated to Market that are not penalise end products Made in China.
Why not everyone try to build End to End ecosystems like China done? Because it is expensive and need a lot off infrastructure supports. Off course means you also has to build efficient chains. Only those with large market and resources but also cheap costs can do that. Indonesia try that, India definitely doing it now. However that need not only huge infrastructures build up, but also huge talented human pools. Something so far China has advantage over others that have large human resources pools as India, Brazil and Indonesia.
Thus every one still playing catching up. Which shown yes China benefits greatly from off shoring from More Advance Industrial Countries in 80's and 90's. However it is quite mistaken to say China become like now only because of that. China become as now today because they (CCP) like it or not able to bring and build more efficient chains, then others. It depends to nations like India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico to replicate what CCP done. So far I have doubt they can reach that domestic industry ecosystems chains as that yet.