On course for science supremacy

The successful docking maneuvers and safe return of the Shenzhou IX capsule, together with the record depths reached by the manned submersible Jiaolong, are milestones in the continuing advance of China's technology.

It's true that many Western observers look at China's high-tech development with prejudiced eyes, and they assert that China's space and deep-sea technologies are being developed for military purposes in order to justify their claims of a "China threat".

In response to this, some Chinese scholars and scientists have pointed out that China's technology still lags far behind that of the United States and Russia. But even if the nation downplays the two high-tech programs' achievements, these voices will continue to criticize China.