Very interesting! You are quite the traveler.
Aside from China having a vastly larger population it is remarkable how their problems are so similar to ours. Probably just a product of a global economy and/or the pandemic but a real estate downturn, government debt, and an aging population are just a few similarities that are issues with all the largest countries in the world. Not saying it is comforting, but if you set military might aside, we humans are similarly matched to the point that we share the same organizational problems. Kumbaya.
One thing that is notable and relatable to all here is that China inflated GDP numbers for decades. When local governments reached GDP numbers, they were rewarded and were then allowed to borrow and overbuild. Deceptive control opens the door for widespread corruption when reliable numbers are manipulated, which makes me wonder about what is truth and what is fiction - of all things Chinese. It's a lack of a moral compass that was driven by capitalism, unfortunately. Yes, they have levers that we do not, but their debt is likely far and away worse than ours considering the scope, as you have mentioned.
People buy from people and a lot of folks trusted Alvin Chee. He worked for many years building relationships that enabled growth. If one was to look at the new Garlubidor products (brought on via Denafrips), they look a lot like Vinshone (Alvin Chee) products. It may be questionable that Alvin was not happy that Denafrips stole his work to create a new line- but if you do a comparison of products- it is painfully evident that is what happened.
Since you have spent a lot of time there, is there an audiophile presence in China?
And as we all know, there was a time in American history when a trip to Hong Kong was a worthwhile shopping experience, is that no longer the case? You don't have to answer if you don't want to ..don't mean to corner you for info. Thanks for sharing..