“After essentially sealing the country off from foreign architects for much of the 20th century, the Chinese government kicked off the 21st by turning itself into the biggest single patron of avant-garde architecture in the world.” But the government’s enthusiasm is proving short-lived, as major projects by big-name foreign architects have recently been savaged in the state-controlled Chinese press, halted or delayed by the same authorities who initially gave them the green light, and generally placed on a national dart board. Call it one part nationalism, and two parts fiscal insecurity…