Dr. Roy Chun Lee, former Taiwan Representative to the EU, breaks down a critical shift: China's push for self-sufficiency isn't about isolating itself — it's about reducing dependency on the world while increasing its leverage over it. He points to two decades of data: China's import growth ran 5-10% annually for years, but over the last decade, that growth has essentially stopped. China is still buying, just no longer needing to buy more — a sign it's approaching the point where "everyone needs us, we don't need any of them." Dr. Lee calls this one of the biggest risks facing democratic, market-based economies today. New Strait Forward episode, "Why Taiwan Didn't Steal America's Chip Industry (Pt. 1: Geoeconomic History)," out now. #China #Taiwan #NationalSecurity #SCSP #Shorts #Chips