Cannot innovate ; that's is my point. Japan succeeded and industrialize early on. Chinese was backwards, they even bound women feet! Barbaric! In Meiji Era Japanese vote; in Qing they into slavery still. Backward people !
No comparison. Even now they under autocrat rule CPC; no personal freedom in China. They are same still as before.
Copy copy copy inherent weakness.
In Meiji era until WWII japanese was also willing to go on a suicide run to blow up other people for the sake of the emperor, is that progressive?
Japan has a 40 year head start on China, if china was still resorting to copying 40 years from now then your analysis would be correct, but you are jumping the gun too quick. China embraced FDI, foreign technology because China needed to build an industrial base it didn't have, today she has the largest in the world. If you think Chinese economy is still based off cheap imitations, let me ask you why hasn't any other country adopted the same model, given Chinese labor given its status as a upper middle income economy. If you believe the fomer, you are no smarter than a redneck from the deep south chanting "dey turk er jerbs!".
Back to the topic of Japanese innovation, why is it since the introduction of Chinese competitors, many japanese firms have suffer large losses and have even gone under. Famous examples are Sharp and Panasonic/National, simply put they were unable to differentiate themselves and carried on their old business model of standardisation which made them belly up.