Non-archive: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/asia/china-tariffs-trade-warning.html

This is actually some interesting strategy from the US. Rather than trying to actually reindustrialise the USA itself, they could move their offshore labour to some other aspiring third world country. The carrot of becoming a “Second China” against the stick of suffering sanctions could be enough to convince some massive country like the Philippines to also embargo China.

They can also extract more surplus than corporations in China due to less labour regulation and class struggle.

Vietnam seems like a prime candidate to become to China what China was to the USSR in the 70s. Despite statements of solidarity and friendship, they can easily fill China’s niche in the world market.

Ironically, this competition between the old economic bloc and the nascent Chinese one could lead to industrialisation efforts in the periphery of both.

I’m not as positive on China as most users here, so I see a clear incentive for Chinese capital to invest in dependent primary sector development at the periphery of their bloc, as investing in advanced manufacturing is both competition in their own bloc and creating a replacement for the NATO bloc. On the other hand, any “second China” can’t be held down economically, so it’ll need a tighter leash through military dependence by surrounding them with war.

My candidates for those besides the usual Europe, Israel and Japan are Chile, Philippines, Vietnam and possibly even occupied and reconstructed Ukraine after the war.