All people have tendency to resist change and progress, Chinese are specially so.

The biggest difference may be the fact that China's rulers were too harsh toward their people, leaving no room for any intellectual development.

That's the reason that China's social science and progress has been so backward for so long.

Even today the situation is not better -

"You can eat like a pig, be happy with anything, but do not have your own head."

As long as this is the case, China will remain in its course for another thousand years.