The impression I have is that the US pre-eminence in much of basic science is fading.  We seem to dither, and our efforts are narrow.  ”Curiosity”, the Mars lander was a tour-de-force, those folks deserve all manner of credit not only for the creative thinking but for blending genius with engineering.  Bravo!

And, that doesn’t seem to be part of a broader effort to explore either inner or outer space.  We rely upon alliances, for now, and that’s working.  But I don’t see any broader, American vision, nor do I see any credible activity which would underpin anything substantial.  I believe the last good chance the US had was expended in the sands of the Middle East.  The Chinese plans seem real, not some politician talking.  These articles seem to imply commitment to a broad-scale push by a dynamic society which seems to have the money.  If they haven’t already achieved anything not already done, the infrastructure appears to be coming along nicely, thank you.

http://www.sciencealert.com/china-s-revealed-plans-to-build-the-world-s-largest-particle-collider-twice-the-size-of-the-lhc?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=InArticleReadMore

“China has announced that it will begin construction of the world’s largest particle collider in 2020. According to officials, the subterranean facility will be at least twice the size of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland, and will endeavour to find out more about the mysterious Higgs boson.”

http://www.space.com/27893-china-space-program-moon-mars.html

“China continues to ramp up its space activities, which include a new launch complex, more powerful boosters and the construction of a large space station, as well as plans for complex robotic missions to the moon and Mars.”