A lot scrap metal was sold to japan prior to WW2 and surprise they had enough metal to build a lot of military equipment afterward. Spain sure imported a lot of oil during WW2. Some folks do favor the dollar over everything else. The Chinese economy still depends on selling cheap crap to the U.S. and our paying them back for loans. Hostilities break out...the loan repayments are jeopardized and no cheap crap gets to be sold on our shores. So much for Chinese growth.