Depends how you look at it (that is, either from an arrogant Westerner's view, or from an arrogant Chinese's
)...
Look at the Type-98G: it already has a front turret modular addon armor pack said to be similar to that of the Leopard 2A5
plus advanced ERA, their new 125mm 50cal gun is NOT an improved Russian design but a derivate from their own 120mm gun, firing DU sabot round that could very well be derivates from Israeli technology, the turbodiesel 1200hp GMP derivates from German WD396.
It is also said that Chinese manufacture AT-11 gun-fired missiles.
Apart from all that, the Type-98 is the first an yet only tank in the world to field a laser soft-kill active defence device.
Don't believe what is too often said, China moves forward like everyone else, maybe even faster right now, but
quietly...
Look this
unofficial site for good info about the Type-98.