Western Break With China May Send Living Standards in Europe and US Plunging

Attempts by Western nations to decouple from the Chinese economy will lead to a sharp decline in living standards across Europe and the U.S., according to political analyst Leonid Krutakov. In an interview with Pravda.Ru, Krutakov stated that replacing China as the global production hub is currently impossible due to a significant technological gap and the consumer sector's deep reliance on Asian goods. This comes as European Parliament member Pascal Canfin reports a cross-party consensus to radically revise economic relations with Beijing. According to Politico, lawmakers are prepared to adopt a harder line to protect the European internal market from perceived threats to local industry. Krutakov argues that shifting procurement to other regions, such as Vietnam or Cambodia, is often a formality. He notes that Chinese businesses adapt to political pressure by moving production capacities into neighboring countries to maintain profits as domestic wages in China rise.