Economic models and a China model?

Comments on Shaun Breslin “Rethinking the ‘China model’”, 30/2/2011, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/12/29/rethinking-the-china-model/

I think this is a very important piece of analysis with objectivity as opposed to ideology and Professor Breslin should be highly commended for that.

I am particularly and deeply impressed by the argument that the process of the Chinese economic development in the last 3 decades has been experimental as opposed to a grand design, a gradual reformist process as opposed to big bang theoretical approach, a process of seeking what works as opposed to following blindly textbook economics.

In that respect, the criticism of its relying too heavily on exports and investment could perhaps be put into a proper perspective and an appropriate place. That is, it worked at that time/stage, as opposed to a theoretically well balanced model that could be applied all stages of economic development.

That point of view is in essence no difference to an argument that most industrialised economies are post industry/manufacturing and they had a imbalanced economy in their industrialisation stage that they should not have had!

Isn't that a nonsense?  

PS: the link of the Chinese economic development of the past 3 decades to the East Asian developmental models is very useful, especially in light of the experimental nature of the Chinese development process and the history of rapid growth of some East Asian economies prior to the Chinese process.