It is now widely accepted that the story Western countries once told themselves about China’s technological development—it is a mere imitator of Western technology; it steals intellectual property; its successes result from wasteful public subsidies—is inadequate. This story still has some elements of truth, but it is much less true than it used to be. China is today an innovator and technological leader in robotics, electric vehicles, nuclear reactors, solar energy, drones, high-speed rail, and AI.
If confirmation were needed, the Sept. 3 military parade through Beijing confirms that we must add military technology to this list.
https://archive.is/20250903180329/https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/03/china-military-parade-technology-pla-weapons/#selection-3519.0-3563.479