Where do you think they learned it? Simply copy the Americans and double down. Fairly obvious to meAustralia started the political initiative to de-China their consumers last year. The are acutely aware of China’s ability to overwhelm them economically. They‘re close neighbours. The links between China, the US, and Canada are very strong and one sided. China imports much more into the US and Canada than vice versa. I can’t see North Americans weening themselves off cheap Chinese goods. We are addicted and our lack of local manufacturing to compete with China’s retail goods manufacturing industry makes us beholding to China. Our own fault really, because our politicians told us of the political and economic benefits of becoming part of the global village and we blindly bought into it.
You only have to drive in the DR to see first hand, the poor quality of Chinese goods, trucks, motorcycle, etc. Cheaply made and crap within one or two years. The Chinese recently shipped necklaces to Canada that were radioactive. Other personal products contained very high levels of nerve damaging metals like Cadmium. You hear about this all the time and Chinese goods just keep on coming and we keep on buying.
Tariffs don’t work. The previous US administration tried that and China simply devalued their Yuan to level the field and stopped buying soybeans and other US and Canadian agricultural products. The US had to increase their national debt and borrow $14 Billion to subsidize the farmers. Let’s not forget the money owed to China by the US and the massive Chinese investment in North American industries such as oil exploration and development in the Alberta tar sands. All strings that are not easily cut.
China, to put it bluntly, does not play fair because they don’t have to play fair. Their hegemony cultural and political philosophy is similar to the Borg on Startrek. Resistance is futile.