Betrayal (Sorcerer Theme)

GRAVITY, Soyuz & Shenzhou

It is interesting if you think about why the Soyuz and the Shenzhou would be similar: consumer electronics differ greatly between manufacturers, and cars and planes do, too. But there's enormous value to actually simplifying and unifying the control schemes for these spaceships. One can interpret the comment that the two are similar as a testament to the impressive engineering that goes into spaceflight. That we have these totally distinct bespoke creations, but that the creators expended enormous effort to unify their control mechanisms as a result of an actual, practical need. And that this practical need is precisely what we see in this movie.

Even if Shenzhou were an exact copy of Soyuz, the control schemes are actually unlikely to be similar without a lot of effort involved. These control schemes were so precisely thought out that a pilot with familiarity with only one of them could pilot both, even when the pilot could not understand either language. This is one area where this movie excelled. It entertained complexity.

Further reading: GE Apollo D-2 vs Soyuz vs Shenzhou
GE Apollo D-2 vs Soyuz vs Shenzhou (cached link)