China is far beyond copying the West. Great innovation is happening everywhere in China. China's principal reputation for copying is in manufacturing and indus

China is far beyond copying the West. Great innovation is happening everywhere in China. China's principal reputation for copying is in manufacturing and industry; it seems that the author's experience is in what I might call "small apps" [1], but the more interesting copying has been at the heavy industry end of the scale; for example, copying the German Transrapid train design (or a Siemens power plant!). Does anyone know to what degree China is still in the copying phase of this kind of heavy industry, and how widespread it is? I do know companies that operate on the assumption that anything they build in China is unprotected and anything they sell to China is a technology transfer. [1] Compared to, for example, massive desktop applications or operating systems or specialised contracted commercial software that will run for over a decade from initial tender to release.