The global economic landscape is reversing: Why are countries re-evaluating their relations with China?

By the end of 2025, a global “reality awakening” is unfolding. Western countries that once loudly proclaimed “decoupling and breaking chains” now face an unavoidable ledger— the cost of leaving China far exceeds everyone’s expectations. The US is convinced, South Korea is anxious, Japan is stunned. This is not an exaggeration, but a brutal truth revealed only after countries use data to calculate precisely: China has become an indispensable part of the global economy.

Manufacturing Control: One-Third of Global Output Comes from China

Data speaks most convincingly. In 2024, China’s manufacturing value added accounted for nearly 30% of the global total, surpassing the combined total of the US, Japan, and Germany. Among the top 500 industrial products worldwide, China leads in over 220 varieties, ranging from micro daily necessities to macro industrial equipment—such a broad coverage makes it impossible for any other country to replicate.

The advantages in the new energy sector are even more pronounced. China accounts for 70% of the global photovoltaic modules and 60% of wind power equipment. In the EU market, 98% of solar panels come from China, with Portugal reaching as high as 85%. Europe’s domestic capacity can only meet 15%-20% of global demand, leaving a huge and difficult-to-fill gap.

More strategically, BYD is building factories in Hungary, and CATL is planning a 100GWh battery plant, with upstream and downstream industrial chains following suit. China is creating an industrial ecosystem within Europe based on its own standards—this is not just product export, but systemic economic infiltration.

Infrastructure Export: Technical Reliability Sets Global Standards

Since the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail opened two years ago, it has transported over 12 million passengers, with a single-day record of 26,700. The 46-minute journey, previously requiring 3 hours—this efficiency is revolutionary. More importantly, this railway has become Indonesia’s busiest transit line, driving explosive economic growth along its route.

From hundreds of micro-enterprises emerging around Karawang station, to attracting over 500,000 international tourists, to a cumulative 5.65 million kilometers of safe operation records and over 95% punctuality, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail demonstrates the reliability of Chinese infrastructure through tangible results. Facing Indonesia’s complex geological conditions with frequent rain and earthquakes, this stability itself is a technological declaration—other countries seeking to develop high-speed rail cannot bypass China’s experience and standards.

Strategic Resources and New Energy Industry Chain: Holding the “Pulse” of the Global Economy

Key links in the new energy industry are almost entirely controlled by China. Rare earth processing accounts for 87% of the global total, lithium mining 78%, cobalt 65%, cathode materials for batteries 68.2%, anode materials 84.1%. At the finished battery stage, China’s output accounts for 76.4% of the global total.

What does this mean? It means that the cost structure, supply rhythm, and technological iteration of the global new energy vehicle industry are deeply embedded in China’s industrial chain. In 2024, China’s exports of pure electric vehicles accounted for 24.7% of the global market, and lithium batteries for 54.9%. Without China’s capacity and innovation, the global adoption of new energy vehicles would be delayed by at least 50%.

German automakers’ data confirms this—electric vehicle sales in China surged by 63%, reflecting not only market attractiveness but also the dependency on the industrial chain. China is both the largest consumer market and the core parts supplier; for any automaker, “de-China-ization” is equivalent to giving up competitiveness.

Space Sector: The Breakthrough of the Western Monopoly

China’s space station operates stably and is open to the world—this itself is a breakthrough against Western technological monopoly. Signing astronaut selection agreements with Pakistan means that countries without their own space stations in the future, if they want to conduct manned space activities, will have to rely on China’s platform.

French media have had to admit that China’s breakthroughs in space have rewritten the global landscape. This is no longer the exclusive domain of developed countries.

Why Has “Decoupling” Ultimately Become a Hollow Phrase?

Let’s look at the current situation of those most ardently advocating for “decoupling”:

USA: The manufacturing return has been shouted for 8 years, yet China’s manufacturing share continues to rise. Critical minerals and strategic industries like new energy vehicles are beyond America’s self-sufficiency.

South Korea: The entire supply chain for batteries and automobiles is highly dependent on China. The costs and time involved in capacity transfer have become unbearable burdens.

Japan: Dependence of high-end manufacturing on the Chinese market is deeply rooted; even component procurement cannot do without Chinese suppliers. True “de-China-ization” is tantamount to economic self-destruction.

German media comments hit the nail on the head: China is not only the “world’s factory” but also the “economic stabilizer.” When countries pick up their calculators to recalculate, they realize that the cost of excluding China is unaffordable for any economy.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Awakening of Economic Reality

The global re-recognition at the end of 2025 is essentially a sober confirmation of an already existing fact—China has deeply integrated into every vein of the global economic system. From Europe’s energy transition to Southeast Asia’s infrastructure upgrades, from daily industrial products to cutting-edge space technology, China’s role has long been irreplaceable.

Those optimistic “pessimism” narratives appear pale and powerless in the face of reality. The future logic is simple: it is not China desperately seeking to be needed, but the global economies that cannot do without China’s capacity, technology, and market. This is not just slogans; it is a solid fact accumulated through every real transaction and every objective data set.