Slop.

The thing is, US (and Europe) does conquest through economics and trade too, via the IMF, WTO, World Bank, and similar institutions. It's absolutely brutal. They loan foreign money (like USD or euro) to countries who need help, but then these counties lose control over their debt because it's in a foreign currency. Attached with these loans are strict rules about how to run your state after usually related to austerity, like what happened to Greece and many states in Africa.

Noting though, that the West can do those things because of the threat of military option, not to mention the coups that have made the receptive government possible. The West is an organized crime family running a protection racket vs China building a symbiotic relation with other countries.

Like, being able to explain this shit still comes down to your audience acknowledging the difference between 2 consenting countries making a business deal and one country with a gun to its head ceding sovereignty to the global north.