Chinese and Japanese are constructed via "strokes", which build into simple characters (like letters, if you will), which then constitute more sophisticated cha

Chinese and Japanese are constructed via "strokes", which build into simple characters (like letters, if you will), which then constitute more sophisticated characters. Chinese characters are not pictograms, in the sense that every character is distinctly unique. Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding, but you seem to imply that Chinese and Japanese do not innovate or integrate ideas as well as Westerners? If so, this observation seems to contradict reality.