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Long before the chinese get a space station, they will be beset by overwhelming socio/economic difficulties at home that will be far greater challenge to the chinese government and to chinese people. The chinese population growth, as a result of its own policy, is leveling off (may have already), and potentially will go into decline. The average population age is rising. They will face a 'social security' crisis of famine proportions at some point. Their huge military is 75% dedicated to internal control. They have a shortage of natural resources, including water, to support economic growth, and the have a regional rival for those resources that poses a major threat (India) to their goals of regional dominance.

For China to become a technological power, they need to come into the 21st century at many other levels as well. You've seen the space photo taken in the last year that shows the earth at night. You'll notice that there are no lights to speak of inland of hundred miles of the chinese coast. Contrast this to India, or the US or Europe or Japan. This picture says a world about the econmic might and stability of various countries. Economic power and internal stability are related. That photo shows not only the economic power houses of the world today, it shows where the worlds fault lines are and where regions of economic depression exist. China has to deal with that. We should also be aware that Chinese political stability is threatened by its economic weakness.

Chinese dreams of space domination are just dreams for the foreseeable future (at least the next century).

BTW, if you get to see the photo I refer to, contrast N. Korea and S. Korea. Another flash point that we have to be very careful in handling.

BTW again, contrast the Muslim and Christian worlds in the same photo.

Maybe someone can post it here.

The lights in China are turning on. Political stability isn't their strong suit, so they need to modernize quickly to have a chance of success. If they can make the leap to space development the problems with their home base won't be so important; space development can be made self-supporting, possible but not easy.

Here you go. First the US

Now Asia