That's true, but China has reverse engineered, or purchased from traitorous Westerners, or stolen through espionage, far, far more than they have developed on their own.
Thirty years ago they were still a very agrarian and backward society. The establishment of uncounted numbers of US factories and manufacturing processes in China handed them vast technological advances on a silver platter.
I've always believed our China policy will prove to be one of the most monumentally stupid in all of human history. We've done endless things to strengthen and advance a nation that might well become our most dangerous enemy ever.
"Our China policy" will be even worse under Obama, who is more concerned with greenhouse gases than weapons.