Sure, they could land a lunar rover in the same locations as the Americans but in terms of accomplishments don't you think it is or would be much more significant if the Chinese surpassed America in some way?
From this perspective they have done just that, and gone beyond America by accomplishing a feat that America has not (whether real or staged).

I don't doubt your theory, but perhaps the Chinese are giving the American's a wink and a nod with their recent accomplishments. I don't have the article at the ready but I read something to this effect last year that when the Chinese landed the Chang'e 3 (which went down after 40 days) they may have discovered something in the process. Either with something they did discover or in the absence of a discovery.
Some have theorized that the Chang'e 3 did not suffer from mechanical failure but that perhaps there was another reason for its shutdown.

The Chang'e 3 landed not too far from the Apollo 15 mission site.





Of particular interest here is one striking photograph captured by the Chang'e 3 that some believe reveals the presence of some sort of structure on the moon's surface.





I've touched on this before in a previous posts if it interests you at all.

https://steemit.com/remote-viewing/@v4vapid/remote-viewing-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-iii