I disagree with your characterization that EVERYTHING made in China is junk.
No, just 99 percent of the walkie talkie on chip radios are. Feces pieces pure junk. The radios are designed around WoC's intended for use in disposable bubble pack consumer electronic junk like $19 a pair FRS/GMRS radios found at retailers. They are not, nor were ever, to be used as a "serious" radio device anymore than a $15 DVB dongle can compare to a "real" receiver with a true IF front end. Cheap junk is cheap junk is cheap junk. Yaesu chose to contract "cheap junk" shoved in a nicer housing and put their name (and reputation) on it. The polishing a turd analogy applies here.
I have an FT-270, purchased in 2010. and an FT-60 purchased in 2012, both from HRO, that were both made in China. They are indistinguishable from the same radios made in Japan. The Chinese are perfectly capable of making quality products if a company demands it.
Funny you mention that. I owned several VX-150s all made in Japan, one made in 2000 by "Yaesu Musen" before it became "Vertex Standard" circa 2001. In 2006, when they were $69 at Gigaparts, I ordered two. One of them went back to Yaesu 3 times. Bad speaker, bad squelch control, Yaesu service was abysmal in those days, and Chip Margelli gaslit me with lots of promises to make it right but never came through. Guess they realized what turds these radios were and essentially said "for 69 bucks, send him a coupon for a free Lakewood Industries box fan and tell him how to give himself a yellow shower with it".
Took me years to "get over" it but I will NEVER buy ANY Yaesu product made in Chinavirus land. Ever. Their Fusion gear, OTOH, are still MADE IN JAPAN. My FT-2D and FT-70DR have been trouble free. My FT-847, FT-8900R- both Japanese made, and close to 20 years old (FT-847), are perfectly working, never been in for service. This is no accident. Japanese quality speaks for itself.
China is good at some thing, like stealing intellectual property and counterfeit items. Quality radios? I don't think so.