Like you said, two wrongs don't make a right. Just by pointing out this has happened elsewhere doesn't make the conversation about China doing it any less important or relevant. Why shut down this conversation?
In the US patent law doesn’t cover everything, there are alternate forms of IP like copyright which has let open source software and fashion thrive.
Then there’s the open hardware system in China called GongKai: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20141230/09362929550/how-g...
[See my other comment for how to interpret "expect", though...]
On another level, though, any country that has more to gain by stealing than to lose by being stolen from is going to be tempted to steal. Given what human nature is, you'd better expect it to happen.
It's like how in domestic society, on one level we expect people to obey the law. But on another level we expect at least some people not to, which is why we have police.