How is China so advanced?

I’ve been in China working for 2 months on a shipyard last year, I returned this year for other 2 months and I’m always wondering how China, as a country, is so andvanced.

I mean, don’t misunderstand me but we always have problem with shipyard and factory workers, they are very very lazy and cannot do anything by theirselves. This is what I feel, I really like China and I would like to know how it is #1 or #2 in technology and other things