Ambitions Propel Asian Nations into Space.

The oversized ambitions, secretive military culture and still-impoverished population underpinning China's space program are on full display here at the Xichang space center, the site of last month's moon probe launch.

Two beefy People's Liberation Army soldiers stop foreigners from entering the "world-famous" launch center and museum in Sichuan province, even though all the information on display is available on the Internet and China's technology lags behind that of its Western counterparts.

"Some referred to it as the world's most expensive fireworks display," said James Lewis, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "At least you got a bang and a flash."

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