The statement that accurately explains the rise of Mao Zedong is:
Mao was politically active from a young age as a revolutionary and prioritized Chinese experience over foreign experience with communism. That was how he rose to become chairman over other experienced leaders who had spent their time in the Soviet Union instead of China.
This statement highlights Mao's early political activity, his emphasis on a strategy and ideology that resonated with Chinese conditions rather than merely adopting Soviet models, and how this helped him gain prominence among other leaders.