The Chinese would certainly challenge any "Great Gap" argument. The
'classic' history of Chinese economic thought is Hu Jichuang's "A
Concise History of Chinese Economic Thought" (Beijing: Foreign
Languages Press, 1988) ('concise' is very much a relative term in this
context!). It's out of print, but I had no difficulty in obtaining a
copy on inter-library loan (from SOAS). Hu's account is considered
somewhat outdated by contemporary Chinese scholars, but it retains a
significance comparable, perhaps, to Schumpeter's History. I am
currently working on a project to put together a modern reader on the
History of Chinese Thought, although whether and when it may come to
fruition are open questions ...
Terry Peach