I’m 97% sure the whole “China is stealing our research” bit is pure cope, and you’re spot on that it’s mostly that a nation built on slavery is scared shitless about the idea of calling a non-white majority country a peer. We already saw them do the same to Japan in around the 70s, and why younger chuds seem to try to reconcile their weebishness with their white supremacy.
“Japan, you are an honorary aryan, but only because your cartoons amuse the great white man, peasant!”