China has been genuinely innovating in manufacturing techniques for decades. If anything, that ingenunuity peaked when Xi began his term, and has been degrading as his dictatorial tendencies needlessly hamstrung Chinese industry.
Why wouldn't it?
I don't think it makes sense to extrapolate from one particular technical field to governance in general.
The US managed to defeat both Nazi Germany and Japan plus develop nuclear weapons, all in 1941-5. Was it a proof of extreme competence of the US government in general? The some government tolerated abuse of blacks and forced segregation in the South, I would call it a serious governance failure.
Don't buy US propaganda so easily. They want to create a moral equivalence where there is none.
That is naive. Really repressive states control that.
> the people creating that narrative were right-wing christian nationalists and none of it held up.
Like the BBC?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037
There is plenty of evidence that China wants to erase all minority cultures and religions.
Now where's my pony?