>>61084858
So why hasn't China done this yet? Because they make a lot of money off of this arrangement, and for decades they've been able to keep on increasing the West's dependence on them by simply going with the status quo. Why mess with a good thing? Why interrupt your enemy when he's handing over his gun to you? For another, it's not the Chinese way to impetuously flare up over the insults of foreigners and risk everything they have. When they make a move it will be measured and calculated, for what they deem to be the optimal time.

The question remains, though: why would China be doing this right now? What makes this the optimal time? The current US administration has been souring the sweet deal lately, and people, powerful people who have proven themselves capable of acting instead of just talking and hand-waving, are starting to admit that the China-makes-everything system is a problem. They're talking about bringing the manufacturing back home. That means the golden trade wind is dying down, and China is adjusting its sails. They do not need to shout about it, they do not need to rub it in, they do not need to declare victory or even declare war. They simply need to quietly say that they aren't interested in playing the game anymore. On top of this, by letting the US move first, they can frame anything that they do as a response to the US's action, not their own belligerence. That's probably not a huge factor, but worth noting. Legacy media will probably present it that way, too.

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