I know that this is true.
I’m not so sure of the calculus behind it. Do US companies believe they can always stay a step ahead of the Chinese cos and will always have the latest & greatest; and thus whatever the Chinese steal, it will be a generation older?
And/or, do they simply not care and wish to capture or at least play in the Chinese market with its giant consumer base?
Certainly not mutually exclusive; indeed it probably IS a little (or a lot) of both.
No, they steal from tier one and two suppliers.