The most common critique of China’s innovation goes like this:
"Sure, China leads in solar panels and batteries – but those were invented elsewhere. And research dominance doesn't mean commercial success.“
It seems like a reasonable critique, but the data doesn't support it.
China now leads the US in open-source AI downloads (17% vs 16% globally). It has 8x more industrial robots installed in factories. And it's running more active clinical trials in biotech than the US.
These aren't legacy industries or lab metrics. They're consumer products, factory floors, and drug pipelines.
The question is not whether China is catching up, but whether the West has a good plan for a world where China is leading.
