[RichardHeart]

For every nation that desires to improve it's lot in life, there is a transition period. You must bridge the gap from the ultra suck, to more suck than normal, on to the good life. There are a very finite number of ways to bridge those gaps. Industry is one that is tried and proven.

It's easy to call a peoples way to move up in the world bad, its much harder to suggest a real world viable alternative path. I'm ok with China becoming the worlds best manufacturers of many things, and the cheapest manufacturers of other things.

I am unaware of another path that they could have taken, or could take right now, that would get them as much GDP or even better citizen outcomes, except for perhaps spreading the wealth downstream a bit more?