Chinese tech firms up their game as reciprocal tariffs hit U.S. products
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HONG KONG — Marcus Wu’s home racing simulator setup needs one more thing: a manual gearshift. A decade ago, one from a Western brand would have been a no-brainer for gamers like the 12-year-old Hongkonger.As President Donald Trump’s trade war with Beijing escalates, the fact that Wu opted for a gearshift from Chinese manufacturer Moza illustrates how far Chinese manufacturers have come in competing with their Western counterparts on affordability and quality.The deepening economic conflict between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies, has the potential to wreak havoc on a complex web of globalized commerce. And Trump’s attempts to claw back manufacturing to American shores could have unintended consequences, including giving Chinese technology manufacturers an edge at a time when American products are already becoming expensive.Wu and his father-cum-financier, Mingfai, have already made their choice, opting for a Chinese alternative over American brands such as the Ore...