A hot potato: The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine have clearly shown that the Western world cannot trust China anymore. The richest countries in the world have already started to "de-escalate" over-reliance on China's manufacturing machine, and now Europe is joining forces with Japan for technology research and production. This week, the European Union sent Commissioner Thierry Breton to Tokyo for a high-profile meeting with the Japanese government. The EU's Commissioner for Internal Market met with both government officials and representatives from private companies, discussing advanced technology such as semiconductors and supply chain issues. Europe and Japan appear…