That I can well Believe
It isnt much better now is it.
Not really. When you go to the big cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, etc), you see a lot of western conveniences. But the moment you get 10 miles away it goes to shitville. Pit toilets, outdoor markets where animals are slaughtered while you wait, trash everywhere, etc, etc. Unless people have actually traveled in China do they realize how poor it actually is. It is a lot like Eastern Europe used to be under the Soviets.
China gets everywhere by stealing tech and copying. Period.