Short answer: It's a combination.
Neither technology is new. Fracking has been around for a long time, with frac fluids tailored to the formation, whether acid is used to open pore throats, or the pressure of the frac fluid to induce fractures to enhance drainage from the wellbore.
Combined with a horizontal wellbore which can put two or more miles of wellbore through a formation when a vertical wellbore might have only penetrated six feet of thickness, frac technology has the opportunity to further enhance the effect the wellbore itself provides--namely the further improvement of the improvement created by horizontal drilling.
Another technology, pretty much unsung, is the development of MWD tools (measurement while drilling) which make it possible to get real-time data in regards to formation characteristics, the angle of the wellbore and azimuthal direction, as well as the orientation of steering tools, enabling steering the wellbore in an economical fashion compared to older directional drilling techniques.
New advancements in both MWD and directional drilling are constant in a highly competitive industry. I should note the development of better drill bit technology goes hand in glove with the MWD and other downhole tool tech—the advancement has occurred on several fronts at the same time.
These technologies in concert have made the large scale development of gas shales and formations like the Bakken and Three Forks not only possible, but an economic winner.
All the technologies are in a constant state of change, as competitors jockey for an edge in efficiency or data quality which enables them to win out in a highly competitive marketplace.
Typically, development of such technology starts offshore where drilling in different directions from one spot is a real money saver because the operation is relatively expensive to begin with, but relocating the rig and infrastructure costs are significantly less when multiple wells can be drilled (and later produced from one site. Those benefits have funded a lot of the raw R&D over the years, and the spin-off from the developments offshore to applications onshore has made the current natural gas and oil activity possible.
Needless to say, the Chinese will be looking at more than frac technology, and with an eye to apply it both onshore and off.
Thanks for taking the time for that Joe.