Just saying that damascus swords are middle eastern. Chinese steel were insanely good too. They had steel and chrome centuries and millenia earlier than others.
Modern China started late bc of civil wars but chinese culture including confucius was always about educating until you can do well in imperial exams, so you can serve the country.
Japan basically got the chance to be something bc Qing Dynasty refused to work with Imperialists colonists. The americans and portugues would have loved to be on China instead of the shitty Japan. Even thailand would have been mlre interesting to colonialists.
A major mistake that haunts the entire region to this day.
Physical is stupid though. Why waste so many resources and distribution(distribution wastes a lot of resources including gas, people time, vehicles and overproduction) when it can use the internet for basically no resources except electricity and fairly effective use of servers.
Air Heat pumps are AC.
There are different types which uses earth or water body heat and are even more efficient but expensive.
Technology wise they are AC though