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Chinese goods have infiltrated virtually every aspect of daily life, from smartphones to household items and even tomatoes. Major e-commerce platforms, such as Shein and Temu, largely import their products from China, which reflects the extent to which the country's manufacturing capabilities dominate global supply chains. Since the late 1970s, when the economy opened up, China's export revenue skyrocketed from $14 billion to over $3.5 trillion in 2023, making it the second-largest economy globally.
However, this astonishing growth story is not without its dark underbelly – the issues of human rights abuses tied to cheap labor and significant quality concerns surrounding exported goods have raised alarm bells worldwide.