[someperson]

I don't see China's space program as developing particularly rapidly.

China did a manned mission to low-earth orbit in 2003. 17 years later China hasn't done much on the manned exploration front. Long March 9 isn't expected to even be ready for a manned Lunar mission until the 2030s.

America launched Alan Shepard in 1961 and 8 years later Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

That said, I think there's no reason why China needs to struggle to make advances in space because copying the innovation of other places works very well.

[dirtyid]

Priorities are simply different right now. Focus is mostly catching up on space infrastructure, indigenous capabilities for civil / military use i.e. actual purpose of space programs. The gap there use to be much larger. Innovative / exploratory missions for nationalism is a sideshow.