The China decoupling paradox: why the world still needs its manufacturing machine

Despite years of discussion about global decoupling from China and speculation that countries like India and Vietnam could replace it as the "world's factory," China's manufacturing role remains significant. For Indian hardware engineer Neeraj Arora, the growth of India's electronics manufacturing has not reduced the need to import from China, but rather altered the type of goods imported. Previously, Arora imported finished products like phone chargers from China. Now, the nature of these imports has shifted, indicating a continued reliance on Chinese manufacturing, albeit in a different form. This suggests that while manufacturing may be diversifying, China's foundational role in global supply chains persists.