>...Yes, the west has done research and maybe a couple of demo reactors of insignificant power.

Granted that the power level for EBR II was insignificant compared to a commercial reactor, but it did run successfully for about 30 years and generated about 2 billion kilowatts of power.

https://www.ne.anl.gov/About/reactors/frt.shtml

>...As to the waste of “breeders” being manageable, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?

Within about 4 centuries the small volume of waste generated by a breeder reactor should be less radioactive than the uranium ore that it came from.