The thing about less expensive stuff from China, is that China has a loonnnggg history of corporate espionage, stealing our R&D and then ignoring intellectual property rights.
They have very cleverly (and purposefully) placed their students into our top research universities and aerospace companies since at least the 1980's. How do you think they went from complete isolation in the 1970's (Nixon era's ping-pong diplomacy) to nearly matching our jet, nuclear sub, and aircraft carrier technologies? I know they are historically credited with creating fireworks (gun powder) and pasta, but I suspect they stole those from other cultures hundreds of years ago also. Aside from art or literature, I cannot think of anything modern they have actually invested in, developed, and created from scratch. They are thieves of other cultures.
From my previous professional life, I have first hand experience they have sent over hundreds of pregnant women to have their babies born as U.S. citizens, only to return them to China shortly after birth. Imagine! Future Chinese government officials and military officers who are also American citizens who cannot be denied access or employment.
This may sound far-fetched, or paranoid, or "conspiracy-theory" to some but look back over the last 5 decades. China and Chinese citizens have almost always played the long game. Remember the old saying, "Three generations from Shanghai to Stanford?"
We have caught many of their government and military members and their families acting on China's behalf in our country. Even Nancy Pelosi's chauffeur and the New York Governor's Chief of Staff. Here's the thing: you send over one Romanian gymnast or one Cuban baseball player or one Russian ballerina, and they are slipping their handlers and seeking asylum. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese in America, from one of the most repressive communist nations on the globe, and no one is seeking asylum? Why is that? Family members at home threatened with imprisonment and torture, maybe? They've set up police stations on United States territory for the sole purpose of enforcing their laws on their citizens who are here for God's sake!
If one doesn't see the danger of casually buying Chinese stuff, even though it is cheaper, I fear one is short-sighted, anti-American, or ignorant. Maybe all three. Essentially you're buying cheaper things (cameras, electronics, pharmaceuticals, etc.) that were stolen from us in the first place, and now you're helping them make their thefts profitable. We're buying back from the thieves the very things they stole from us. They think we are suckers coming and going. They are right.
They are giving us something though. New York City has 2.5 times the national average in T.B. cases. A staggering 89% of their T.B. cases are from foreign born immigrants. According to New York City's most recent Annual Tuberculosis Survey, the largest single origin country of that 89%? Chinese immigrants.
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downl...ual-report.pdf
Do I still buy things that are Chinese made that I can't find made in America? Yes, but I do so knowing full well I have little other option. I will pay more for American made when I have the opportunity to do so, and I strongly encourage you to do the same.