Meanwhile, the error all along, to which both Chinese policy makers and Western commentators seem to have fallen victim, has been to confuse a high degree of usefulness with indispensability.
Some commentators feel that the Chinese investment boom must eventually run out of steam, whether for lack of good projects to finance or because the country will shift to a more consumption-led model.
Most commentators seemed to accept Ms Chua's premise about Chinese mothers' approach, if not its superiority, though some think she really means those overseas, with the immigrant's burning ambition.