[hakfoo]

I was under the impression that manufacturing moved to China for the bottom price first, but higher value manufacturing remained there because there's infrastructure symbiosis now.

If you're a absolute lowest-value-add manufacturer (think cereal box toys), yeah, you could put that anywhere plastic stock could be delivered. But as you start to make more sophisticated products, supply chains get way more relevant. If your cereal box toy acquires a blinking LED, a coin cell battery, and a screw to hold the battery box closed, it becomes compelling to manufacture the main casting in China because all the other parts are already made there and the logistics will be cheaper and more responsive.

This seems like the same play as early Silicon Valley, and Taiwan in the era of early PC clones.