Authoritarian governments of all stripes love — and need — to keep a tight leash on their citizens. Ten years ago, the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China was kinda comfortable with allowing its citizens to engage in capitalism and explore what the free market had to offer — a lot of Western businesses set up shop in the nation's major cities.

The West became famished for fast fashion and reasonably priced brands like HiSense, TCL, and Oppo. When I visited China in 2017, the government was cracking down on access to news from outside of Chinese borders. It was a friendly, welcoming place. If you're dumb enough to turn down Chinese barbecue, you could buy Kentucky Fried Chicken or a drink from Starbucks. I was able to buy a cable I needed at an Apple Store in Qingd

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