US really cocked things up when they started snubbing China early on (decade ago) over their International Space Station participation (all those apolitical science things).

Now, just to maintain their face (China’s distinct aspect of manifest destiny) they provoke them to shine their edge capabilities.

I see this as recurring psyop strategy to boost anti-china military spending (now that we know what to spend on Russia), though from a space technology one-upsmanship perspective this is a self inflicted wound.