My question was mostly rhetorical and sort of a jab at GP, who was probably alluding to China - a country that, perhaps ironically, should be considered a stabl

My question was mostly rhetorical and sort of a jab at GP, who was probably alluding to China - a country that, perhaps ironically, should be considered a stable trade partner. After all, China has been a nation of merchants from time immemorial. That said, what you describe does make a lot of sense. While a country should keep some level of local industries to avoid getting completely deindustrialized, it does make sense to look for new trade partners in situation such as this. Isolationism just doesn't work in this day and age. Advanced economies are very complex beasts, and international trade makes it possible. No one country can produce everything an advanced economy needs.