Perhaps the reason there's a stigma of China not being able to innovate is because they're so widely known for blatantly copying existing products and designs (and selling them for a much lower price). In some cases, it’s a direct rip-off of an existing product (for example, search AliExpress for “TIAL Wastegate”), and in other cases, it’s a similar, but often cheaper (in both cost and quality) design.

The problem is that people love to generalize, and the fact of the matter is that when many people think of Chinese products, they think of cheap knock-offs being sold on eBay. Obviously, this is a pretty bad generalization considering many of the “legitimate” products we use every day were made in China, but we’re talking about perception amongst the general population. [Criticizes China for making knock-offs while typing on an iPhone…]

The point that needs to be made is that making cheap knock-offs does not preclude them from innovating. There are a lot of people there, and I’m sure the entire country isn’t composed of mindless assembly drones.

It’s a shame that this stigma exists, and it will take a while before it completely fades away.

I realize that some people might be offended by this (and my use of “cheap knock-offs”), but if you don’t believe me, just go ask around for yourself.