INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), long the architect of breakneck growth, now faces a crisis of its own making-one marked by mounting debt,
extraordinary steps to stem the damage: quietly rolling back tariffs on critical U.S
goods, tightening controls on foreign companies, and deploying digital disinformation to mask its vulnerabilities.These moves are not the
hallmarks of strength, but of a regime grappling with the limits of its model in a world that is rapidly turning against it.A Facade of
Beijing claims a 5% GDP rise for the first quarter of 2025, but a closer look reveals a far bleaker picture.Electricity consumption, freight
volumes, and factory output all point to a sharp contraction, while Chinese exports to the United States are projected to fall by as much as
77% in 2025, according to the World Trade Organization.The property sector, once the engine of Chinese growth, is buckling under more than
$2 trillion in debt, with high-profile defaults like Evergrande emblematic of a wider crisis[7][16].Youth unemployment remains stubbornly
high at 16.5% as of March 2025, with little sign of improvement[8]
Deflation has taken hold, with consumer prices falling 0.7% year-on-year in February 2025[9][10].Domestic consumption remains weak,
accounting for just 38% of GDP-a level far below that of other major economies
(Photo Internet reproduction)Dependence Beneath the DefianceFor years, Xi Jinping has extolled the virtues of self-reliance, insisting China
could weather any external storm
goods-including semiconductors, chemicals, vaccines, and aircraft parts-covering $46 billion, or 28% of total U.S
Unraveling Authority Ignites a U.S.-China Fight for SurvivalFactories Falter, Fire Sales SurgeAs U.S
bankrupting smaller firms and leaving industrial parks half-empty.State-backed banks are now staring down a mountain of non-performing
loans, while local governments slash services as tax revenues dwindle[16].The same overcapacity tactics that once flooded global markets
more than its standoff with Apple.As Apple and its suppliers attempt to shift iPhone production to India, Chinese authorities have delayed
or blocked the export of critical manufacturing equipment, with approval times stretching from two weeks to four months and some
applications denied outright[3][15].These measures are not a formal ban, but a clear signal: Beijing is willing to use regulatory power to
slow the exodus of foreign firms
Yet, these tactics are self-defeating.Once supply chains leave China, they rarely return-a reality that risks accelerating the hollowing out
and more predictable regulatory environments[13].Apple Shifts U.S
iPhone Production to India, Marking End of China EraPropaganda, Disinformation, and Global PushbackUnable to win the economic narrative, the
CCP has intensified its use of digital disinformation.In the Philippines, Chinese embassy operatives were caught hiring local troll farms to
smear President Marcos Jr
These campaigns betray a regime losing its grip on both the global narrative and its own domestic legitimacy.Meanwhile, the world is
India has imposed a 12% tariff on Chinese steel to stem a flood of cheap imports[14], while South Korea has slapped anti-dumping duties of
up to 38% on Chinese steel plates and cracked down on relabeled Chinese goods meant to evade U.S
tariffs.Brazil is expanding local iPhone assembly to leverage lower U.S
More than 100 countries are now seeking trade deals with the United States, aiming to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on
faces a stark choice: reform or retrench
The CCP can double down on protectionism and control, risking long-term stagnation and isolation, or it can embrace the difficult path of
deep structural reforms to boost household incomes and domestic demand, these measures risk being little more than a temporary
The myth of invincibility has been shattered; what remains is a nation wrestling with its own contradictions, and a world recalibrating for
the empty factories, the silent assembly lines, and the quiet desperation of a government forced to choose between pride and
survival.Sources[3] Times of India (Apple/Foxconn export restrictions)[4] SAN.com (Tariff rollback on U.S
crisis)[8] Trading Economics (Youth unemployment)[9][10] CNN, Business Standard (Deflation)[11] Perry World House (Disinformation in the
Philippines)[13] BGR (Apple/Foxconn in Brazil)[14] Discovery Alert (India steel tariffs)[15] Asia Tech Review (Foxconn delays)The Hidden
