I read the article, and do not doubt the potential of China for true greatness nor underestimate the epic grandeur of the history and beauty of the culture from which China descends...
But just like Russia needs to rid itself of Soviet poison, so too does China...poison from the same source but injected by Mao. It pollutes, corrupts, and chokes the country from truly blossoming.
You are in fact correct.
However, you are insisting on backing your arguments with facts no longer true. The fact the Pearl River Delta has so dramatically changed is an indication that there is pretty dramatic change in the government. In addition to the young people adopting western ways on a massive scale and business escaping the mainland there is pretty significant change in academics.
The largest Initial Public Offering in the history of the New York Stock Exchange was for Ali Baba, a chinese business to business Ebay like trading site. That offering is the work of Chicaps..... not Chicoms.
I see from time various articles by Chinese academics on subjects of interest to the world. Often they are in joint venture with american or European scientists. This is especially true of paleontology where outsiders are allowed in to china to study the fossils.
Regarding Russia...... They had a chance and blew it. They were given both money and opportunity. They stole the money and failed to implement the opportunity. Russia could be China but lacked the native business and industrial initiative to go forward like China.
Lastly, nowhere did I state China has progressed to the level of American or European or even Asian democracies. China remains Communist. What can’t be denied is the fact that there has been tremendous change. How it will turn out in 50 or a hundred yeas we do not know. I suspect the young leaders are walking the tight rope between the old, living, communists and the young demanding change.