Heinlein on the space race.

Is there intelligent life in Washington, D.C.?... If in fact Mars is uninhabited, shortly there will be a land rush that will make the Oklahoma land stampede look gentle... But don't be surprised if the Japanese charge you a very high fee for stamping their visa into your passport plus requiring deposit of a prepaid ticket or, if you ask for immigrant's visa, charge you a much, much higher fee plus proof of a needed colonial skill. For there is intelligent life in Tokyo.

From Where To? in Expanded Universe.

I suspect if he wrote this today (instead of 1980), he would amend it to "Beijing and Delhi" who appear to be the powers with an interest in pushing ahead. Maybe he'd leave Tokyo in the list, but he wouldn't have anything different to say about intelligent life in D.C.
[I put this Heinlein quote in because of my previous post on the Space Race, and learning from China's history.]