The problem with advising to buy originals is that there are just not a lot of originals in this configuration. Further, a lot of them are old and showing their age. Even further, some people can't find them right now. When a guy sees a chopper he likes at the gun shop, he wants it now, not a year from now, if he has the duckets to afford that example right now. He might not have those duckets a year from now, so it's better to buy that chopper while he has the duckets before, over a year, he eats out for lunch once to often and then, bingo, no extra simoleons to spend on the chopper. If he buys the chopper, he'll brown bag for lunch (and usually healthier meals, too) and have that chopper to shoot on weekends rather than spending countless hours cruising the net for an original 97. Plus, he may save duckets buying the Norinco and use the extra duckets left over for ammo. And the Norinco is what he wanted and doesn't have to settle on something else. I bought an original 97 at a gun show years ago and it literally fell apart after 200 rounds. I'll never make that mistake again. If I see a new repro, I'll go with that. I don't collect antique firearms.
On the question of Chinese made goods, well, to each as his conscience dictates. But look at the American arms dealers caught trying to funnel howitzer, missile, and F-14 parts to Iran. It's not just the Chinese.