The Chinese have a "can do" attitude, and the staff all have a loyalty to the company to the extent I haven't seen before in any other country. If they are asked to work extra hours they do it, if they have to come in on the weekend they do it, and generally the staff don't ask or expect anything in return. They are just happy to have a job.
Whilst nothing detracts from the reality that a system set up to deliver a throughput of pilots, 'can' deliver that output, entrenched attitudes, regulations and workplace regulations get in the way. Something not often observed in a one party state. The fact that most western economies, are for the most part, not centrally planned (indeed planned at all!) means western airlines are generally not an extension of the state.
Most airline executives would be very enthused to have staff who work every weekend, extra hours and
not expect anything in return. Staff just happy to have a job is what Australian industry craves and the continued importation of labour under various visas appeases many industry groups! They spend their waking hours trying to 'offshore' any job or service not nailed down or fill it with temporary (cheaper) labour. Western airlines have been frustrated in their endeavours by pesky labour relations laws from developing a form of
industrial servitude that resembles an environment where workers do as instructed with a 'joy' that the most ardent central planner would applaud.
Take a look at the South China Sea dispute between those several countries who have a claim on those shoals, reefs, islands and sea area. Every other country was "talk, talk, talk"; China went and did something about it.
I am not sure airline training budgets extend to heavy machinery engineering nor armed flotillas. Nor am I sure that their knowledge of the law extends to sovereign territorial limits, freedom of navigation and nor would an airline executive contemplate establishing a 'base' were such efforts necessary.
Whilst it is admirable that some countries with a cohesive policy for aviation have demonstrated there are was to 'get things done' the separation of state and airline is such that a privatised airline in a western economy generally serves different masters than those from a centrally planned and governed
one party state.