[Babashane]

China has a long history of pirating ideas and things.

It’s not very creative or original. Can they not come up with their own ideas & designs?

Well as they say - imitation is the highest form of flattery.

[1rudeboy]

How hard can it be to pirate the design of a building? Client says, "make it look like this one." Architect says, "ok."

Even if the architect is clueless, he can visit the building already constructed.

[Sherman Logan]

China has a long history of pirating ideas and things. It’s not very creative or original. Can they not come up with their own ideas & designs?

Actually, China has a much longer history of being the most technologically advanced and innovative nation on earth. From roughly 500 BC to 1600 AD.

For unknown reasons their inventiveness essentially died around 1600 and still hasn't really come back.

Except insofar as there is inventiveness involved in imitation.