It was high time to cut the cord and to end a toxic dependency.    

Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  02.06.2025

The Western grip: an uneasy dependence

For more than two decades, I have been acutely aware of the growing and intrusive dependence on American products and services. Whether it be the software I use, the channels through which I communicate, or even the cultural artefacts I consume, the omnipresence of the United States has felt overbearing. From Microsoft’s monopoly over operating systems and office suites to Google’s data-driven web services, from the entrenchment of the SWIFT payment system to the cultural saturation of Hollywood series and pop music, Western influence has infiltrated the most mundane aspects of daily life. But this dominance has not come without concern. The trade-off between convenience and sovereignty, between usability and surveillance, has troubled me for many years. Long before I moved to China, I was already seeking ways to extricate myself from this subtle but powerful stranglehold.

The resistance was not easy. In Europe, attempting to live without Microsoft or the SWIFT network often felt like an act of defiance. Most alternatives were either rudimentary or actively obstructed by compatibility issues and institutional inertia. Yet I remained committed, driven by a vision of autonomy, one where my digital and consumer choices did not contribute to the machinery of surveillance system or the perpetuation of a global order disproportionately skewed in favour of the United States. When I finally moved to China, a country whose technological and industrial rise I had been following closely, I found the missing puzzle pieces. Today, in 2025, that vision has matured into reality. I am decoupled.

Technological self-reliance

Let us begin with the tools of daily life: smartphones and laptops. While most in the West remain tethered to Android or iOS, I have opted for a Huawei smartphone running HarmonyOS. This elegant operating system offers all the functionality I require without the invasive tracking mechanisms that underpin Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. The experience is seamless, the design intuitive, and the absence of American tech giants behind the scenes is a source of quiet satisfaction. On my Lenovo laptop, I no longer suffer the tyranny of Microsoft Windows. Instead, I rely on Deepin OS, a refined Linux-based operating system developed in China. Deepin is visually attractive, resource-efficient, and functionally sophisticated, proving that user-friendliness and digital sovereignty are not mutually exclusive.

Installing Deepin, however, was not without its battles. Microsoft, in close coordination with SSD manufacturers like Samsung, has made it increasingly difficult to install DeepinOS or to dual-boot.  BIOS settings are often buried or locked, and compatibility quirks are introduced to thwart smooth installations of non-Windows systems. These are not mere technical coincidences; they are strategic acts designed to prevent escape from Microsoft’s ecosystem. But persistence, and the guidance of online Chinese tech communities, overcame these hurdles. The result: a super-fast, clean and sovereign computing environment free from forced updates and telemetry.

Digital alternatives and the freedom from surveillance

Communication and internet services were next on the list. Gmail, Yahoo, and their ilk are notorious for data collection, invasive advertising algorithms, and questionable compliance with state surveillance mandates. I migrated entirely to Netease email. The interface is reliable, storage abundant, and most importantly, I am no longer the product being mined for data. For web search and general knowledge, I bypass both Google and Wikipedia by using DeepSeek. This Chinese-developed AI is fast, coherent, and impressively contextual. I rely on it now for information retrieval, intelligent summarisation, and even creative assistance, free from the ideological filter bubbles so characteristic of Silicon Valley’s offerings.

Hosting websites was another area requiring decoupling. Amazon Web Services, the backbone of much of the internet, is an American monopoly with a documented history of compliance with US state policies. My websites are now hosted on Greencloud, a reputable Chinese hosting provider. Not only are the costs lower, but I also enjoy peace of mind knowing that my data is not subject to arbitrary US legal subpoenas or the capricious ethics of Amazon’s internal policies.

Media

Social media

Several years ago, I was permanently banned from Western platforms such as Twitter (now X), Quora, and LinkedIn. I have never maintained accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or TikTok. Instead, I choose to engage actively with Chinese social media platforms, including WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, QQ, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili, which I find better aligned with my personal and cultural preferences.  In effect, I live virtually in China.

I firmly uphold the principle that my financial choices are a private matter. It is neither the government, the big corporations or the banks’ business where and how I spend my money. Consequently, I rely on WeChat Pay for the vast majority of my transactions, both domestically and internationally, including for cross-border money transfers whenever feasible.

Mainstream media

From an young age, I developed a healthy scepticism toward Western mainstream media. This distrust only deepened over time, and it was not until I relocated to China that I fully severed ties with it. I no longer consume content from outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Time Magazine, BBC News, The Guardian, The Times (of London), The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Politico, The Atlantic, NPR, Sky News, or similar voices.

I do not watch television at all. I am completely disengaged from Western media ecosystems. The sense of relief that comes from no longer being inundated with selective narratives, ideological bias, and half-truths cannot be overstated.

CIPS: financial emancipation

The financial system may be the most critical domain of all. For years, SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) has acted as a gatekeeper for international financial transfers. It is based in Belgium but functions essentially as a tool of US financial hegemony, especially since the weaponization of its services against sovereign states. I now whenever possible use CIPS (the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System). CIPS is efficient, reliable, and significantly cheaper than SWIFT. The transactions are almost instantaneous and free from the geopolitical strings that dangle from Washington. In my international dealings, I make it a priority to use CIPS-supported channels. For private individuals and small businesses seeking financial autonomy, CIPS is nothing short of revolutionary.

Daily life: East over West

Decoupling extends beyond the digital and financial into the material: the objects that populate my home and office, the tools I use, and the products I consume. For air travel, I no longer rely on Skyscanner, Booking.com or Expedia. Instead, I use Trip.com (Ctrip), which provides extensive options, competitive pricing, and seamless integration with China’s domestic travel infrastructure. My battery-powered hand tools, once limited to Bosch, Makita, Metabo or Black & Decker, are now from Kamolee, Newone and similar Chinese brands. They are robust, ergonomic, and economically priced. At Aliexpress I buy car accessories, sandpaper, soup blender, callipers, tea kettle, dashcam, blood pressure meter, socks, laser leveller, neodymium magnets, batteries of all sizes, Tuya electronics and much more. Most of these items, along with nearly all my household goods, are delivered to my door via AliExpress; fast, reliable, and without the culture of upselling and exploitative pricing common in Western e-commerce.

Even basic personal items have undergone the shift. My toothbrush is no longer from Oral-B but an Oclean (Xiaomi, the world’s first AI powered toothbrush). I have replaced my Gilette Mach-3 razors with FlyDear, and my Braun hair trimmer with a sleek and durable model from Kemei. My washing machine and dishwasher, once proudly German, are now Haier products. Their performance is superior, and their after-sales support is exemplary.  

I have not walked into an European clothing shop for over two decades. Every article of clothing I own now, from tie, cufflinks to shoes, comes from Chinese designers, factories or distributors. Quality, design and affordability, once domains where Western brands claimed superiority, are now domains where Chinese products quietly excel.

Feeding the body and the mind

Food is the most intimate consumer choice we make. Even here, I have consciously removed myself from Western supermarket chains and their imported produce. I now purchase most of my groceries from a big Chinese supermarket (here in Leuven) or direct online platforms. The food is fresh, packaging more rational, and supply chains less convoluted. Moreover, there is a cultural satisfaction in eating produce and dishes rooted in a civilisation that prizes balance, moderation and wholesomeness. Food, like technology, should not be a vector for foreign influence. In this respect, Chinese grocery outlets have become spaces of cultural reassurance.

China in European machines

Some might argue that full decoupling is an illusion, given the deeply intertwined nature of global supply chains. And yet, the statistics tell a different story, one that actually reinforces my position. A BMW produced in Munich contains more than 20% Chinese components. A European-made BMW electric vehicle incorporates more than 40% Chinese components. For Audi, the figure exceeds 60%. The reality is that Chinese engineering, manufacturing and innovation underpin a significant portion of so-called Western products. So why go through the middleman? Why subsidise European mark-ups when I can acquire functionally equivalent and often superior products directly from their Chinese source?

Cultural sovereignty and mental clarity

Decoupling is not merely a material transition; it is also a mental and cultural one. I no longer consume Hollywood films or American pop music. The narratives, the moral scaffolding, the subtle indoctrination, these are no longer part of my mental diet. Instead, I turn to Chinese movies, classic and traditional music  and literature. This is not an exercise in sinocentrism, but an act of cultural hygiene. Western media, especially in its post-2010 incarnation, is saturated with ideological content. By removing myself from this stream, I am not escaping culture, I am rediscovering it, in forms that are ancient, unhurried, and surprisingly inclusive.

A dignified withdrawal, not a retreat

Decoupling is not an act of war, but an act of dignity. It is not about hatred or anger towards the West, but about ending the monopoly it has long exercised over our tastes, habits and decisions. It is about refusing to be a data point, a target audience, or a captured market. It is about breaking free from the exploitative contract that underpins much of the modern consumer experience: convenience in exchange for control. I am not advocating a boycott. I am advocating autonomy, starting with the tools and habits within our immediate control.

The world beyond the West

In 2025, the world is no longer a unipolar marketplace. Chinese companies, systems and cultural products offer a robust alternative to the Atlanticist world order. They are not simply cheaper; they are better designed for the realities of today’s geopolitical landscape. They offer security, reliability, and an absence of ideological imposition. As more people realise this, decoupling will no longer be a personal journey but a collective evolution. The West’s former monopoly on quality and innovation has ended. We are entering an era of multipolar consumerism, and I am proud to be at its vanguard.

Conclusion: independence through choice

In recounting my decoupling from Western products and services, I do not claim perfection or ideological purity. Rather, I affirm the possibility of meaningful change at the individual level. By replacing Microsoft with Deepin, Gmail with Netease, SWIFT with CIPS, and Gilette with FlyDear, I have not only reshaped my consumption habits, but I have also reclaimed a measure of sovereignty. This journey has not been without its challenges, but the rewards are immense: financial savings, digital privacy, cultural clarity, and geopolitical alignment with a more balanced world order. In 2025, the tools for decoupling exist, and they are, in many cases, superior to the ones we leave behind. Decoupling is no longer a dream. It is a decision.

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This article was also published at The China Academy Decoupled and Undefeated: A Declaration of Independence from the Western Grip