I have one of the late model USA Cross pens (there is a small, local office store that still has stock going back to the mid 1990s) and one of the China-made pens. They are not different. The China-made pen is actually a bit better, with a tighter fit and a smoother twist. I am using a Swiss off-brand ink tube which, ironically is less expensive than the Chinese "real" ink tubes but writes just as well. The China-made pen still has the feel of a Cross pen as well as the design, and manufacturing is still being overseen by Cross, according to their representatives.