The premise assumes that China and the Global South are fighting over the same slice of the global consumption pie – cheap T-shirts, plastic sandals, toys. It is the supply list of a systemic partner that is feeding other nations’ industrial engines. China’s share of global garment exports fell to just under 30 per cent in 2024, a significant drop from its peak of over 40 per cent about a decade ago. China’s share has dropped while Indonesia and India have gained ground. China is not shipping goods to outcompete Global South producers; it is shipping the building blocks that make factories viable.