How do they get from a US Senate subcommittee warning that China might get ahead, in an attempt to hurry the US beaurocracy along and get rid of all the red tape of going through multiple agencies for approval, to turning that into a “giant leap for China”? The article doesn’t say anything about China doing much, they’re just talking about rockets they plan on building. The title also tries to imply there was some sort of failed launch in the US.

It also should be said that while their latest rocket has been sat on the pad since early September, it probably hasn’t been 100% ready for launch. They’ve been tinkering with bits, currently a motor believed to be from one of the grid fin stabilisers has been removed. However it’s a pretty common practice for contractors to try and push so they can say “well, we’re ready, why aren’t they?” in meetings.

Starship has already flown multiple times, landed successfully, and the Super Heavy booster has flown once. They’re a long way from a working passenger vehicle or a lunar lander, but so is everyone else, and it’s impossible to say who will get there first.