To say China is 25-30 years behind the US is probably an overestimate of China's present military technologies. if we roll back the clock, in 1980 US had over 1000 ICBMs with multi-entry warheads in her arsenal, she had a huge airforce made up of F14,F15 and the newly introduced F-16, her navy had around 15 carriers including nuclear-powered ones along side perhaps 300 cruisers, destroyers and frigates. It was 10 year earlier when US first humans onto the moon, and it was even earlier when US started to fly SR-71, world's first stealth aircraft. But then, everyone else including France is far behind the US. Without access to US technoliges, directly or indirectly, there would be no Rafale, no Charles de Galle class carrier, not even airbus. France, and all other european countries are doing OK, precisely because of their associations with the US. But in terms of cutt-edge technoliges every country on earth, including Japan and Germany, is at least 15-20 years behind the US. Right now, China is still behind Japan, or maybe some european countries, but no country is in better position to catch up with the US economically and technologically than China is now. Western europe is about done: half centry of socialism has turned europe into a sick man, the people are lazy and unmotivated, and islam is eating europe alive from inside, France of course is prime cut here. You have rafale, you have nuk, all this no use against the tidal waves of islamization. One day all France's fancy tools will end up in the hands of Jihadis.
