The few times they've broken out of that model for any significant periods of time were after they'd been conquered by foreigners good and proper.
Otherwise the Chinese people score well on tests and are resourceful. You just wouldn't care for them running your local government.
Agreed.
Read an interesting book recently on the rise of modern science with a comparison between the West, Islam, and China.
China has always had high levels of technology, but never developed modern science on their own. Technology is using scientific principles, but science is understanding them. Thus they could have rockets without understanding jet propulsion.
Also, their ancestor worship has resulted in a culture where you aren’t allowed to go out “on your own” until you’ve mastered copying those who have gone before you.