[Julesomega]

When shopping for modern components we find many real bargains which can be bought straight from China and shipped in days. When it comes to little modules for any and all electronic uses we again find what we want from Chinese dealers, but after hearing the Today Programme yesterday about the treatment and torture of the Uighur people I realise I have to stop in any way supporting the Chinese economy.

This will call for considerable restrictions on what tools and engineering parts I can buy. All those excellent and precise tools from the trade counters, often with house-brand names. Look for British, German and Swedish brands, but then I'm not sure where Stanley tools are made these days, they don't often say Made in Britain.

For components it is not difficult to find Japanese brands, but it wouldn't surprise me if many are made in the PRC. When it comes to the little modules, these can often be sourced from either China or Taiwan and though similar are often not identical, so Taiwan would be the only option. Now I'm even feeling worried about buying shiny new screws and nuts as you never know where they have come from.

Any suggestions how I can reduce my dependence on Chinese imports? I can start by reusing old stock of components.

- Julian