I suspect IP isn&#x27;t really the question here.  After all, the required balls are made in &quot;Germany, Switzerland or Japan&quot; so I doubt they couldn&#x27;t be made in China, if someone wished to.<p>On another note, the article neatly taps into the chip many Chinese have on their shoulder when it comes to be recognized as &quot;equal&quot; to Western countries. In reality, and according to the principle of comparative advantage, no two countries would ever be equal in all things. And that&#x27;s not a bad thing.