In some ways, the tier one cities in China are more advanced than their Western counterparts. E.g. mobile payment platforms are ubiquitous, app-mediated delivery of food is profitable and sustainable, taxi companies and bikes are more accessible. The last time I was in a cafe, all I had to do was scan a QR code, select some items on a menu, and press a button to pay and have it delivered to my table. The tech ecosystem has evolved in a very different way than the US, but not at all in an obviously worse way: I'd expect Tencent and Alibaba to outperform the US tech giants over the next ten years. It's mostly insularity that makes Americans think that China is massively backwards technologically.
The biggest issue moving into the future is the national government's hostility toward foreigners, even foreign professionals. Even then, though, a billion people gives you a lot to work with.
The biggest issue moving into the future is the national government's hostility toward foreigners, even foreign professionals. Even then, though, a billion people gives you a lot to work with.