CREATE TABLE table_204_174 (id NUMBER, "rank" NUMBER, "name" CLOB, "nationality" CLOB, "result" NUMBER, "notes" CLOB)

what country ranks before china ?
SELECT "nationality" FROM table_204_174 WHERE "rank" = (SELECT "rank" FROM table_204_174 WHERE "nationality" = 'china') - 1
SELECT "nationality" FROM "table_204_174" WHERE "rank" = (SELECT "rank" FROM "table_204_174" WHERE "nationality" = 'china') - 1