Yet another reason why China can never win. China had one of the largest population in the world and they needed an ideology to control their population. Confucism was that ideology and it was the worst thing that happened to them. The ideology dictates that respect, and "maintain harmony" (eg don't argue with your superior/boss, or even to each other ) are prioritized above everything else. That means every new idea is crushed, any progressed is dashed. All progress happens top-down. In the West, it is driven by Roman Empire with ideology for debate, free thinking. There's a reason Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and the great investors choose US. They don't want sound racist, but I'm just giving it to you the truth.