This is a smart move by China. There are a lot of reasons to do big science projects other than accomplishing the science itself. One of the biggest is that you get a lot of the smartest minds around the world in the same place as one another. The country that is hosting them will receive more benefits than the other countries participating (though everyone wins in some way). You also are more likely to get the spinoffs that always come off from working on difficult projects.
China is also building a super collider that's larger than CERN. The big question though is if they plan on doing an international effort (and if so, can they attract international scientists while operating an authoritarian state?) or if they plan on doing it only nationally (seems much harder to do and not as effective).
China is also building a super collider that's larger than CERN. The big question though is if they plan on doing an international effort (and if so, can they attract international scientists while operating an authoritarian state?) or if they plan on doing it only nationally (seems much harder to do and not as effective).