The statement that most 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 response highlights Mao's early political activity, his focus on a distinctly Chinese approach to communism, and how this set him apart from other leaders who had more foreign, particularly Soviet, experience.