Sure. I do not discount that. The Chinese are industrious and were willing and able to modernize. No amount of trade would do that unless they themselves put the effort into it.
Nothing was given to the Chinese that they not pay with sweat and toil.
Perhaps it would be better to say that they didn't hinder them or restrict trade.
At least until Tianamen and even then those sanctions basically only applied to the military sector.
Before that the Western countries even actively collaborated with China on several military projects.
Other countries have had similar amounts of market access and did not progress to the same degree that China because of that lack of purpose or poor coordination. But do not discount the ability of the global corporations to undermine nationally important technologies or companies.
Brazil just handed Embraer on a silver platter to Boeing for example. Imagine something like that happening in China if the companies were in the public stock market and available for foreign acquisition. Companies can be bought, even dismantled and shipped away, and a market position which took decades to achieve obliterated.
Just look at what happened to Nokia in Europe for example. Why do you think Europe does not have any large Internet or electronic consumer goods companies?
They have been systematically brought down, broken up, and sold for parts.
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