For the past ten years, Western powers including Washington, Brussels, and London have increasingly viewed economic decoupling from China as a core strategic necessity. This policy shift is largely motivated by a desire to achieve greater industrial sovereignty and protect national security interests. Policymakers are now emphasizing the need for supply-chain resilience, moving away from the deep integration that characterized global trade in previous decades.

The impetus for this change accelerated following the Covid-19 pandemic, which exposed significant vulnerabilities in global supply networks. These weaknesses, combined with rising geopolitical tensions, have led to the implementation of export restrictions and a push for technological independence. Governments are now actively supporting initiatives such as "reshoring"—bringing manufacturing back home—and "friendshoring," which involves moving production to allied nations. While the stated goal is to mitigate risk, the process remains complex due to the deep-seated economic ties between Western markets and the Chinese manufacturing sector. The transition represents a fundamental move away from the globalization model of the early 2000s toward a more fragmented, security-focused economic landscape.