1-'if tariffs are an admission of US inability to compete, then why high-tech products that are not manufactured en masse in the US, like semiconductors and chemicals, have no tariffs due to, indeed, not being manufactured in the USA en masse?' Because some exempted chemicals and semiconducters (and Canadian fossil fuels) the USA cannot produce at all or cannot produce competitively but are needed by US manufacturers and or consumers. That does not refute the argument that tariffs seek to protect US manufacturers and producers from more efficient offshore producers.

2- ' China dominates increasingly (...) "increasingly" do not equates "majority", and making advancements do not means "gaining the lead". Further, advancing on some areas do not equates advancing on all areas.' This is cherrypicking semantics and ultimately evasive nonsense- China Does Already lead and significantly on robotics, EVs, Lithium batteries, Rare earths, Drones, PVs, LEDs, and infrastructure construction.

3- 'USA cannot source the rare earths it needs to produce military equipment

It absolutely does and will scale up production soon. You're relying on outright false information here and thus, again, unavoidably arriving to wrong conclusions.'

How long does it take to get up and running US or US allies based rare earths refining of all the rare earths that are absolutely essential to many military (and high tech civilian) applications? Ten years maybe at best, but even then all agree it will come at a massive cost- the US is simply incapable of doing that complex refining in a cost competitive way. It will/would take huge subsidies which free market end users cannot logically pay - only a determined government might. Japan failed to when facing exactly the same problem many years ago. https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/china-strong-armed-japan-over-rare-earths-its-a-lesson-for-the-u-s-230f8379?

4- 'it's important to remark that what works on China's "mixed" economy is precisely one part of that mix, free market capitalism, while the other part has managed not to damage the other one that much, yet still does. It's a net positive, not a no-negatives.'

This is where your ideology of unalloyed belief/faith in free markets is evident. Please see the example above of rare earths and their strategic importance and Chinas state lead and deliberate investment in achieving dominance and control over the global supply. China is led by a poliburo of mostly engineers. They know that of they do not deliver real gains for most Chinese they will lose their 'Mandate of Heaven'. They would be removed, and probably quite brutally. They face incentives and consequences the corporate sponsored politicians who front wealthy US corporate capital do not. China has quite deliberately and methodically directed capital primarily toward productive infrastructure and manufacturing where it enjoys significant advantages. It has built a supply chain and raw materials and infrastructure that build on the productive competitiveness of its manufacturing. It has actively and aggressively directed capital toward investment in technology and capacity that builds long term competitive advantage. They started their energy efficiency drive in the early 2000s to get better use of energy- an area where China is still highly dependent upon imported fossil fuels and its own coal reserves. Under the system individual businesses can and do enjoy astounding success- as long as you remain within the bounds of the Party Strategy. In contrast in the US Capital (banks and corporate lobbyists) own most of the politicians and have done for decades. There is a lot of anti-competitive rentseeking cronyism because the US electoral patronage system allows and encourages it. Chinas poliburo strategy of becoming the most efficient productive economy on the planet has succeeded because they were not bound to the dictates of the IMF and World Bank agendas of perpetuating western imperialism and its hegemony over resources and markets. They have beaten the wests crony capitalism with their deliberate mercantile mixed economy approach. Now they are forced to confront and contest the US legacy hegemony over international institutional structures and protocols. CIPS and mBridge to challenge SWIFT for example. The IMF post GFC invited China to join its board of reserve currency issuers because Chinas economy was by then already pivotal to the global banking system. With Hong Kongs return to Chinese sovereignty China can and must build its own financial infrastructure. It was via the cannon that Britain seized Hong Kong and via British banks in Hong Kong that China was made subject to British imperialism. That and the Opium Trade. Chinese have not forgotten the lesson of their 100 years of subsequent humiliation. Most in the west have.

Peter Hesslers excellent books on China though now a little dated, were also rather prescient and are still well worth a read, especially 'Country Driving' if you want an economic development perspective. Most in the west are woefully unaware of Chinas incredible history and current strategy and the connections between the two. Hessler sees it and describes it as a westerner living in China and does so brilliantly.

5- 'What should we think about Evergrande's disaster on China?' It is true that China is struggling to develop suitable markets for its newly and increasingly wealthy citizens to invest in - look at US and western history for many examples of how complex and fraught this process can be. Problems of success! So certainly China has relied overly upon real estate investment for citizens investment and that has to be addressed and broader more healthy investment options and markets need to be developed- and are being...but that is a challenge for sure. Regarding Evergrande specifically it was western funds that took perhaps the largest hit. https://fortune.com/2024/02/08/evergrande-liquidation-99-percent-haircut-hedge-funds/

I understand the huge resistance to accepting that US/western dominance is waning and may be on its last legs- it is a hugely confronting/frightening topic for those who do not understand the history of empires and the crucial role governments have always played in the wealth of nations. In the US the exceptional privilege of global reserve currency issuance and corporate patronage has corrupted the entire structure of the government and economy while China has purposely and determinedly positioned itself to respond to the reality of western imperialism and its late stage decadence. Those who will not acknowledge the degree to which US hegemony dominance is now being contested challenged cannot prepare for its consequences and even those who do, face a challenging and uncertain future.

Solomon raises some good points but @didiplaywell is more persuasive and coherent

You can always find the truth by reductio ad absurdum. See my answer to Salomonsatoshi, to this comment you answered.

Glad that my contributions are of your interest :)