Neoliberal economics is basically new school+Chicago school of economics, i'm not sure what it has to do with free trade. Free market, yes, which China isn't.
[Edit] China's economy is so clearly Keynesian with Marxist characteristics that I have trouble understanding why would anyone even think they're neoliberal. China is the best live example of Friedman models being worse than Keynes (not that Keynes model was perfect, at all)
China grew because it was able to sell into Western markets. Western markets were open because neoliberal boosters believed in free trade; they believed (a) that free trade would benefit both sides, and (b) that free trade with China would encourage it to open up its economy (pushing it toward neoliberalism).
I think it's possible they turned out to be wrong on both counts. But if it had not been for neoliberals in the West pushing for free trade, China would not have developed as quickly.
