That’s just a rundown of simple mercantilism and the unpleasant byproducts of China’s insistent pursuit of extreme self-interest. It totally ignores the ever-increasing political and security problems the CCP presents to America and others. Reshoring and friendshoring are topics on which I’ll pass for now. The US goal should focus on how to reduce our contributions to bolstering the Chinese economic, industrial, and tax bases.

I think you’re wrong. From BRICS to the BRI to FOCAC to the Global South and yes, even CPEC, the CCP is in the process of building a China-led alliance of sorts. It’s inchoate at this point, but a rough outline is discernible enough.

Now, as to Pakistan, I’d argue China is getting exactly what it wants. It cares, just not in the way you seem to think it should. The CCP has access to the Indian Ocean at Gwadar, complete with rail lines to China. They’ve secured lots of infrastructure projects to keep Chinese workers busy and to soak up excess industrial capacity back home. They also have an indebted and therefore reasonably compliant Pakistani government to help them out at the UN or distract India should the need arise. Also, China doesn’t really do “true partnerships”. They are too rigidly hierarchical. Throw in Han chauvinism and the collective hubris that infected the CCP after the 2007-2008 financial crisis and you’ll get a sense of a people who often think they have no equals.