I have a growing prejudice that China is an imitator, follower,,, not an innovator like U.S. or Europe. But consider

• 拿来主义 is positive attitude. A country too arrogant to 放下身段 and learn from other cultures will pay a price over the long run and decline.
• Japan is the first Asian country to open up and reform to adopt western systems …
• Korea, Taiwan,,,, try very hard to innovate but aren’t more successful than China.
• The west also picked up many things from India, middle east, and East Asian cultures…

Math (and comp science to some extent) .. China didn’t invent any, but China students have very strong foundations.