I highly doubt Xi is smart in economics or whatever else, even compared to Mao, and he seems partly sincere in his belief in his methods, which raises some worries. One can argue whether Mao was really ideological or just supremely egotistical and corrupted by power. After all he was rather pragmatic in the beginning.

What is true though is that institutionally China is much smarter about economics and less ideological than in Mao's era, but that is predicated on retaining institutional norms and memory past Xi and his ostensibly tactical rollback. It could totally work out in a worse way.