The stupid old saying goes "Americans invent and Chinese steal" drives me crazy.
The world has three levels: Sellers, Makers and Thinkers. At the bottom, Sellers sell raw logs, Makers turn them into chairs and the Thinkers buy the chairs to sit in.
Thinkers make money with technology transfer. They depend on Makers to turn their fine ideas into commodities. The Sellers want to build Maker factories.
I'm from a Thinker culture which used to be a Maker and a Seller before.