China has tripled its use of export controls over the last five years (between 2021-25 it announced 30 export restrictions, compared to 11 times in the previous five years).
This confirms a general recognition that despite China's dependence on exports to keep its economic model running, it is also not reticent at using its control over supply chains to seek to influence markets or counter anti-China trade actions.
More evidence of the changing global political economy?
@ChrisMayLA6 Also note that china has reached new highs of coal power plants. There's nothing green about china.
Add to that, that its battery and electric car businesses are vastly outsized given the size of the market, so there will be a crash there as well.
The good news is that the west can buy cheap solar and electric cars (if the EU removes its tariffs) thereby basically being paid by the chinese government!
Did you see the chart on the proportions of energy produced in China - makes your point, with coal still by far the majority generation, but renewables expanding at a considerable rate.... yes, it will be interesting to see how low domestic demand will impact on expanding EV production; either China needs a massive middle-class economic stimulus, or it will need to export (even) more
@ChrisMayLA6 Given its demographics, china will decline in importance within the next 10-20 years. Of course they will still be significant, but I think for the moment, what we are seeing, is china at its peak.
The question will then be... as china declines, and as US declines due to its debt and broken political system, who will fill the void?
The only serious contender I can see if india.
Apart from that, I only see an ever more fractured and multi-polar world order.
@ChrisMayLA6 This sounds very plausible. It seems like we are heading to a more multi-polar world than ever, with small blocks that each are more or less under performing.
@h4890
Interesting.... India is certainly starting to position itself with that sort of intent, but I think actually the multipolar world is much more likely - with ever more coherent regional alliances & (perhaps) slowing interactions *between* the blocs?