News Analysis Even before former U.S. President Donald Trump began his 2019 “trade war” with China, policymakers had begun asking questions about decoupling the two economies. Those discussions were a reaction to the co-dependent relationship that had grown up over time. Chinese development depended heavily on an ever-increasing flow of exports to the West, while Western economies had grown perhaps excessively reliant on inexpensive Chinese products. The “trade war” raised the volume of this discussion, as did 2020’s pandemic. Post pandemic the questions remain, but matters have become more complicated. Considerable evidence suggests that the old arrangement is fading, that a decoupling is in fact taking place. But at the same time, other evidence suggests a new Western interest in China is replacing it. The change has produced an interesting mix of media stories. One report, for example, quoted the managing partner for Asia of a major global law firm. …