Every time I get a link from this foreign policy site, I get the impression that this is, very well disguised but still strong, the good old "voice of the white West". It is obviously never explicit, but there a smell of "we know better" behind.
This seems the most likely because it only takes one person in ancient times moving from one society to another to impart such knowledge. Anyone supporting that idea doesn't have to offer any evidence -- it's up to the person disagreeing to disprove it because their position is far less likely.
Given that both Chinese and hieroglyphs both have radicals (in Chinese, as part of a character, and in hieroglyphs, trailing the character), the concept of radicals may also have spread the same way.
This seems consistent with ideas of Africa as the crucible of human civilisation; you appear to think that idea is some sort of Western imperialism?
Can you explain further how a group of Egyptians traveling to China supports the notion of Western (ie West Europe + North America) notions of superiority?
Even if the whole concept had been born out of Western imperialism, that wouldn't of course make it wrong.