China’s role as the world’s factory—producing and exporting goods across the globe—has entered a new phase. In the past decade, China has made a concerted effort to move its manufacturing sector up the value chain, producing a deluge of cheap, green technology in the process, including electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels. It now makes EV models that sell for under $10,000—most of the low-cost models in the United States start at around $30,000—and it dominates roughly 8...
