China's quiet transformation: A self-sufficient nation no longer needs the West
By
sg5421
9mo ago· 7 min readenInsight
100/100
Golden Brown
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Summary
The author recounts traveling to China in 2019 and returning in 2024, observing a profound shift: China has become self-sufficient, with domestic tourism booming, Western brands absent, and a quiet, orderly society that no longer depends on the West. The article reflects on how China has moved past its developing-country phase into a confident, self-contained economic and cultural power, while the West has lost its appetite for engagement.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe thing that surprised me most about traveling to China back in 2019 was how quiet it was.
China doesn't need us anymore.
No Starbucks, no McDonald's, no Western chains at all.
and the West lost its appetite
