In the present, when it comes to technology, science and culture, it seems that China is simply lapping up the scraps of the western world and doing with it what it can. This was not always the case. Throughout history, China has been quite the ingenious and creative civilization and has often been well ahead of it's time. In fact, today's advanced world is not just a product of inventions from the west, but of …showed first 75 words of 1703 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1703 total…Such a path allowed China to become taken advantage of later, and in the emerging global society it lacked any real influence while it could have been one of the most powerful nations. If China had instead maintained a path of change and invention the world could certainly be a totally different place. But since that was not what really happened, China's greatest influence has been in it's invention and creativity of times long past.