CS1.5 was still better before the update.
Saying CS1.5 is better than CSS in any way shape or form is just downright stupid. It's the exact same game except a higher minimum and recommended system requirement, and with the new update, GUI changes + achievements (worth next to nothing as usual).
The reason China plays CS1.5 and Starcraft is because they are incredibly low-spec games. You need a simple single core processor, not even 1GB of RAM and a regular cheap GPU to play it. That's why every internet cafe in china has CS1.5 and Starcraft, because its not costly demanding.