For decades China had a “3rd world country discount” on international transport, meaning:
send from China = almost free
sent to China = normal cost + extra fee
Not just the US, but every “1st world country” has been helping China, in the hopes of integrating it into a capitalist system and disrupting whatever is going on in there.
…and it would have worked, if it wasn’t for China not just doubling down, but going bananas on authoritarian interventionism.