It marks the first long-term, stable operation of the technology, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness thorium – considered a safer and more abundant alternative to uranium – for nuclear power.
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium – a radioactive element abundant in the Earth’s crust – as the fuel source. The reactor is reportedly designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
I’d advise you to read more on how Chinese government and spin dictatorships work. There’s a really good book written by Treisman and Guriev
It’s not really a country you’d choose over US even despite all it’s massive (cough healthcare and consumer protections cough) flaws