100 years ago China was barely a country, ripped apart by opium, politics and various countries that occupied China. It took Dr. Sun Yat Sen and subsequently Chiang Kai Shek and then Mao to get China back on its feet and now is a global power because of its 2 billion people.

But you can't compare the innovation of China to the US... for the time being. Admittedly the inflection point is coming soon if the US doesn't get it's head out of its ass.