It’s not uncommon to hear people say that China doesn’t invent their own military technologies, but rather steals technologies from other nations through espionage and cyber warfare. This isn’t entirely true, as China does have a sprawling academic infrastructure aimed specifically at advancing a variety of military technologies… But it’s not entirely untrue either. The truth is, China has long stolen or purchased significant design breakthroughs as a way to close the technological gap with adversary — and even partner — nations.