China Watch

Degrading China’s Supply Chain—Battling for the Spirit of a Nation

August 17, 2026·27 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

For years, "decoupling" and "de-risking" have been the go-to words for describing U.S.–China economic relations.Host Terri Wu argues that neither term captures what's actually happening anymore and proposes a new one: degrading.Terri argues the United States and China are now playing to win on the same integrated chessboard. Both want the same things, and both have concluded that simply continuing to do what they're already good at, without pushing back on the other side, won't work anymore.The board they're playing on, she explains, is of the global supply chain. It’s now the main battleground of the U.S.–China rivalry.Behind that are the people who make the numbers a reality. As a manufacturing business owner puts it, this is about the purpose and meaning of American workers.Views expressed in this episode are opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.—Terri Wu is a Washington-based freelance reporter for The Epoch Times covering education and China-related issues. Send tips to terri.wu@epochtimes.com.Show your support for Epoch Times and independent journalism by leaving a 5-star review of this show on your podcast platform or visit www.RateThisPodcast.com/chinawatch

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