When China first began its meteoric rise to unparalleled industrial superpower, there were nations around the world who saw the Middle Kingdom’s rise as an opportunity, a new market in which to sell their goods.
And for a while, the relationship between China and, in particular, Europe was heavily defined by the rise of the Chinese consumer.
Everything from Volkswagen cars to French-made kitchen equipment began to find a home in China, helping to counterbalance the rise in Chinese exports of generally lower-value consumer goods.
