For years, we have told ourselves a comforting story. Free trade is good. Globalization benefits everyone. Economic interdependence prevents conflict. And China’s rise? Inevitable, yes, but manageable.
Yet beneath this reassuring narrative lies an uncomfortable truth that many policymakers, commentators and institutions have been reluctant to confront. We are funding China’s growth and acting as if we have no responsibility for the consequences.
In We Are Funding China’s Growth, author Edouard Prisse challenges this collective denial with clarity, logic and an unflinching look at how Western economic decisions have reshaped global power. This blog explores the core ideas behind the book, why they matter now more than ever and why continuing to look away may be the most dangerous choice of all.
The Comfortable Myth of Free Trade with China
Let’s start with the belief most of us absorbed without question. Free trade, we were told, would liberalize China. Economic openness would lead to political openness. Prosperity would naturally encourage democratic norms.
For decades, this idea shaped Western policy. Trade agreements multiplied. Manufacturing moved east. Capital flowed freely. And whenever concerns were raised, they were brushed aside as short-term discomfort on the road to long-term harmony.
But here’s the problem. This narrative was never tested against reality. It relied on assumptions rather than evidence. As Edouard Prisse points out, China did not evolve in the way we predicted. Instead, it adapted, selectively embracing economic advantages while rejecting political change.
The result? A powerful state that benefited enormously from open Western markets while maintaining strict internal control. The myth endured not because it was true, but because it was convenient.
We Are Funding China’s Growth By Design, Not by Accident
It is tempting to say this outcome was unintended. That no one could have foreseen it. But We Are Funding China’s Growth makes a stronger, more uncomfortable case: the system worked exactly as designed.
Western consumers demanded lower prices. Corporations sought higher margins. Governments prioritized short-term economic gains over long-term strategic thinking. Each decision made sense in isolation. Together, they created a pipeline of wealth, technology and influence flowing directly into China.
This wasn’t just about cheap goods. It involved capital investments, joint ventures, supply chain dependency and intellectual property transfers. Over time, these choices built industrial capacity and strategic leverage that cannot easily be undone.
Prisse argues that pretending this was accidental allows us to avoid accountability. Acknowledging that we funded China’s growth forces us to ask harder questions about responsibility, foresight and the true cost of economic convenience.
The Risks of Free Trade with China We Chose to Ignore
The risks of free trade with China were not invisible. They were discussed, documented and repeatedly minimized. Warnings came from economists, security analysts and political observers. Yet optimism consistently drowned them out.
One major risk was dependency. Entire industries relocated. Supply chains stretched across continents. Over time, the West lost not just factories, but skills, resilience and strategic autonomy. When disruption came, there was no easy alternative.
Another risk was asymmetry. Free trade assumes reciprocity. But China’s system never offered a level playing field. State subsidies, controlled markets and selective enforcement tilted the balance. Western firms played by open rules while their counterparts did not.
According to Edouard Prisse, the most dangerous risk was psychological. We convinced ourselves that economic engagement equaled influence. In reality, influence flowed in the opposite direction.
How Western Elites Helped Sustain the Illusion
Ideas don’t persist on their own. They are reinforced by institutions, media and respected voices. One of the most striking elements of We Are Funding China’s Growth is its examination of how elite opinion shaped public perception.
Highly regarded publications, policy think tanks and influential commentators often repeated the same assumptions. China was reforming. Time was on our side. Concerns were exaggerated. Critics were alarmist.
This repetition created a feedback loop. Policymakers cited experts. Experts echoed policymakers. The press amplified both. Meanwhile, dissenting voices were marginalized or dismissed as outdated.
Prisse doesn’t argue that this was a coordinated conspiracy. Instead, he exposes something more human and more troubling. Groupthink. Intellectual comfort. And a reluctance to challenge ideas that underpinned decades of policy.
Chinese Misinformation and the Power of Strategic Patience
Another crucial dimension explored in the book is China’s long-term strategic communication. While Western societies debated openly, China invested heavily in shaping external narratives quietly, consistently and patiently.
This wasn’t crude propaganda. It was subtle. Economic data framed optimistically. Intentions presented as benign. Criticism reframed as misunderstanding. Over time, these messages influenced how China was perceived in boardrooms, universities and governments.
Edouard Prisse highlights how this information strategy complemented economic engagement. As China grew richer through trade, it also grew more adept at managing how that growth was interpreted abroad.
The danger lies not just in misinformation, but in our willingness to accept it. When narratives align with our economic interests, scrutiny tends to weaken.
Why the Logic Is Inescapable
One of the most compelling aspects of We Are Funding China’s Growth is its logical structure. The argument doesn’t rely on ideology or emotion. It follows cause and effect. Decision and outcome. Action and consequence.
If you transfer production, capital and knowledge to a state-driven economy, that state will gain power. If you depend on that economy, your leverage diminishes. If you ignore strategic intent, you invite strategic surprise.
These conclusions are not radical. They are obvious once stated clearly. That clarity is what makes the book unsettling. It removes the comfort of ambiguity.
Prisse forces readers to confront a simple question: If this trajectory continues, what kind of world are we choosing to live in?
Is It Already Too Late? Not Entirely, But Time Matters
The book carries a sense of urgency, but not despair. While Edouard Prisse warns that it is “almost too late,” he does not argue that nothing can be done. Instead, he stresses that every year of denial narrows the range of options.
Rebalancing trade, rebuilding domestic industries and reassessing strategic dependencies are not impossible. But they require honesty, political courage and public understanding. None of these are easy.
Continuing to pretend that free trade has no geopolitical consequences only delays necessary decisions. And delays, in this context, benefit the stronger, more patient actor.
The question is not whether change is painless. It isn’t. The question is whether refusing to change will cost far more.
Why This Book Matters Right Now
We Are Funding China’s Growth is not just a critique of past decisions. It is a mirror held up to the present. In a world of shifting alliances, economic shocks and rising tensions, understanding how we arrived here is essential.
This book matters because it connects dots that are often discussed separately trade, power, media narratives and strategic intent separately. It refuses to compartmentalize. And in doing so, it reveals a bigger picture that is difficult to ignore once seen.
For readers who feel something is “off” in global affairs but can’t quite articulate why, Prisse provides language, structure and evidence. For those who remain optimistic, he offers a challenge grounded in logic rather than ideology.
Most importantly, the book invites debate. Real debate. The kind that democracies need if they are to make informed choices about their future.
A Serious Warning But an Engaging Read
Despite the gravity of its subject, We Are Funding China’s Growth is not dry or inaccessible. Edouard Prisse writes with clarity and at times, sharp wit. Complex ideas are explained without oversimplification. Arguments build steadily rather than overwhelm.
That balance of seriousness and readability is what makes the book effective. It doesn’t preach. It persuades. It doesn’t panic. It reasons. And that makes its conclusions all the more powerful.
Readers may not agree with every point. That’s fine. What’s harder is dismissing the argument outright. The logic is too carefully constructed for that.
In an age of slogans and soundbites, this kind of thoughtful, structured analysis feels increasingly rare and increasingly necessary.
Seeing Clearly Is the First Step Forward
We are funding China’s growth. That is no longer a controversial statement; it is an observable fact. The real controversy lies in whether we are willing to acknowledge what that means.
Edouard Prisse asks readers to stop pretending. To examine assumptions. To question narratives that once felt reassuring but now look fragile. And to recognize that economic choices are never purely economic.
Ignoring the risks of free trade with China may feel easier in the short term. But clarity, even when uncomfortable, is the foundation of meaningful action.
If the future is shaped by the decisions we make today, then understanding how and why we arrived here is not optional. It is essential. And that is precisely why We Are Funding China’s Growth deserves serious attention now, not later.