Reform or perish: Asian factories must shape up or ship out in the face of Chinese export aggression

Beyond electronics exports, other sectors are being undercut, leading several governments to announce targeted support measures for firms and consumers, even as headline growth has headed higher. At the same time, policymakers across the region have scrambled to negotiate trade deals with the US to secure a lower tariff rate than their competitors. These tensions are set to persist as the US and China continue to rely on trade policies to advance their strategic objectives. While the Trump administration frames lower bilateral trade deficits as a way to strengthen national security, China is supporting advanced manufacturing for self-reliance in critical…