There are many reasons to take account of China, but also a few reasons cautioning against exaggerating the importance of supposed Chinese economic accomplishments. (Just as worries in the ’80s about supposed Japanese ascendancy now look, to say the least, overwrought.)
One should note also that for at nearly a decade, there’s been good research into China’s falsified GDP claims. See, for example, What’s Happening to China’s GDP Statistics?
There’s no reason to over-react to Chinese accomplishments (by over-adopting), when they’re not meaningful accomplishments, or worse, when they’re falsified ones.
The Chinese may have erected building after building in a wasteful exercise in state planning; we shouldn’t be following their false lead even on a local, smaller scale.