Michael McLaren has unpacked how the West has allowed itself to fall victim to China’s globalisation and how that could come back to hurt them, including Australia.

China is pursuing a policy of autarky, an economic policy of national self-sufficiency, which comes after decades of the West’s industrial capacity decreasing and growing reliance on China.

“If Western diplomats had played their cards right, America First could’ve morphed into Western Hemisphere First, but they missed the chance and instead banged on about free trade and open markets,” he said.

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