Sure that's been their modus operandi in the past, but to hold an opinion that a billion humans on the other side of the Pacific are only capable of copying and no innovation of their own is a rather strange generalization for a thread on general intelligence.
It is rather a cultural/political thing. Free thinking and stepping out of line is very dangerous in a authorian society. Copying approved tech on the other hand is safe.
And this culture has not changed in china lately, rather the opposite. Look what happened to the Alibaba founder, or why there is no more Winnie Puuh in china.