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Abstract
Abstract: Chang’e-5 landed successfully on the far side of the moon - that is indeed sensational news. China ranked 80th in the world in terms of GDP per capita - that is reality. The former is cause for hubris. The latter is a statistical fact. This article aims to make sense of some facts regarding China’s technological progress but without the hyperbole. The article analyses the economies of China’s most advanced provinces to determine the state of their economic and technological progress. In terms of technological progress China’s top provinces today are where the United States was in 1981. In terms of economic development those provinces today are where Japan was in 1985.
