All links along the supply chain are important but some links are more important than others. CORE technologies, meaning those technologies needed for everything else, are the most important because they are held by few, but used by many. China's stated 70% self-sufficiency in ICs by 2025 is meaningless without the core capabilities needed to create those ICs in the face of tech sanctions. China could always ramp up IC self-sufficiency if they had total self-sufficiency in semiconductor equipment and materials. If it had 100% IC self-sufficiency without 100% self-sufficiency in IC production technology and materials, any sanctions along the production chain would immediately destroy their "supposed" IC self-sufficiency.
Core technologies, just like anything else that is held by few, but used by many, are an important tool the West uses to control the world. Whether that control is in the form of semiconductor equipment & materials, turbofan engines, US Dollar, SWIFT, GPS, ARM, etc., it all still comes down to control. This is why China is that guy, that threat to the Anglo-American empire that the Soviet Union never was. Unlike the Soviet Union, China has the ability to break every single choke point technology control mechanism the West has. Like I've said before, the US are control freaks.
A country with limited resources would focus on developing the most important bits (the core technologies), yes. But China has enormous resources; these enable the country to advance everywhere at the same time. China can be totally self-sufficient -- and should be self-sufficient, as there is almost no weakness the Americans will not attack. Of course, the US has weaknesses too, and I am sure that China knows this.