They can want to create academies, but unless kids are forced to enroll, there's no way the climb-to-the-top work ethic parents push will let them divert their attention from technology to sport.
I hear what you're saying, but the same factor ostensibly should make parents reluctant to encourage gymnastics, yet they're becoming fantastic as a nation at it. I think the point is that if the Chinese government says that a particular sport is encouraged as part of China's will to succeed, it doesn't end up taking that much to persuade parents to support it, especially when success in that sport can visibly be seen to be boosting Chinese prestige internationally.