Gabriele Manca
In recent decades, China has changed at an extraordinary pace, so quickly that many have struggled to keep up with its transformation. Many people, especially those over 50, often cling to an outdated perception of China. If you ask them what they think of the country, they will likely mention cheap, low-quality products produced by millions of factory workers. In their eyes, China is still the world’s toy workshop, the land of copycat products and low-end manufacturing. That may still be true in part, but it is now only a small fragment of a much larger picture.
China continues to be the factory of the world, as its near-trillion-dollar trade surplus in 2024 attests. But it is also a technological superpower, leading the world in strategic sectors that define both the present and the future: batteries, electric vehicles, green technology, 5G, advanced nuclear reactors, and more. It now produces more active patents and top-cited scientific publications each year than the United States. China indeed remains behind the U.S. when it comes to “zero-to-one” innovation – creating something entirely new from scratch. But it has become extraordinarily effective at advancing innovation, refining and scaling ideas that originate elsewhere. To describe China today merely as a country that copies the West is not just inaccurate; it is dangerously simplistic. China is now a powerhouse in manufacturing, technology, and innovation.
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