My memories in the United Kingdom often recall scenes of Chinese students, their dedication to study, and their disciplined lifestyle. I would often find them immersed in reading and research within university libraries and laboratories or, when necessary, purchasing essentials at Glasgow's markets, far removed from luxury and its distractions that often undermine productivity, especially intellectual productivity. Yet, despite these scenes I witnessed firsthand, our minds, conditioned by years of accumulated mental programming from a young age, still associate the phrase 'Made in China' with low product quality. Many seeking high-quality goods would instinctively avoid anything made in China, fearing short product lifespans or defects.
Our perception of product quality became intrinsically linked to the manufacturing country, and many global brands rose in value not solely based on quality but also through association with social status and wealth. Some products are produced in extremely limited quantities, becoming objects of consumerist obsession, driven by a craving for prestige rather than genuine utility.
However, this discussion is not about the complexities of human psychology, but rather about China's dominance in industry, a reality that the Trump trade war exposed. That trade war was less a critical blow against China than a miscalculated move that revealed the fragility of America's commercial global system under mounting pressure.
Several issues require objective examination, chief among them the global industrial landscape and China’s role as the world’s true manufacturing hub.
Following the intensification of US-China trade tensions, revelations emerged exposing the "myth" of many global brands. Chinese manufacturers showcased products previously believed to belong exclusively to renowned Western factories, only to reveal that much of what was sold under famous brand names at exorbitant prices was, in fact, produced in China. Removing the branding, the intrinsic value of many such products dropped to a fraction of their market price, without any real change in quality.
These revelations made clear to discerning consumers that much of the global brand system floats precariously on the vast industrial sea of China. The narrative that 'Made in China' equates to poor quality was, in many cases, a deliberate illusion crafted to drive consumer desires and blind loyalty to Western goods. Billions were spent on psychological marketing campaigns aimed at embedding this association deeply into public consciousness, fuelling blind consumption.
Against this backdrop, it is necessary to briefly glance at China’s industrial history and philosophy. China’s modern industrial age effectively began with the economic reforms of 1978, led by Deng Xiaoping. After decades of economic isolation and rigid socialism under Mao Zedong, these reforms marked a turning point: China embraced foreign investment, state-owned enterprise reform, and the establishment of special economic zones.
China’s modern industrial growth can be divided into three phases. First, from 1978 to 1992, China built its foundation with a focus on manufacturing industries. Second, from 1992 to 2008, it witnessed explosive growth, becoming the "world’s factory" with a boom in heavy industries, engineering, electronics and exports to nearly every nation, crowned by its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. Third, from 2008 onward, China emerged as a dominant industrial and commercial power, challenging American economic supremacy, a process intensified after the global financial crisis of 2008.
Western powers, particularly the United States, were keenly aware of China's rapid rise early on. They employed various containment measures, including the widespread propagation of the stereotype associating Chinese products with poor quality. Western media and marketing succeeded - partially - in embedding this image into global consciousness. Yet the tangible reality of China's ascendancy could not be masked. Global corporations, including major American and European companies, increasingly outsourced manufacturing to Chinese factories, both openly and covertly.
Today, it is clear: many of the goods associated with prestigious Western brands are made entirely in China by Chinese hands. Western corporations have, over the past few decades, largely abandoned their manufacturing bases, transferring critical industrial capabilities to what is now perceived as their economic rival: China.
This reality raises critical questions. How will global industry and commerce evolve amidst an intensifying trade war that has exposed the illusions and injustices within current systems? What new mental images will we form about China as a global industrial power? Are we on the verge of witnessing the world shedding its American-Western capitalist economic attire? And finally, what will be our -the Arab world’s- economic position amid these inevitable global transformations?
Dr Muamar bin Ali Al Tobi
The writer is academic and researcher
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