Unlike "mission"/ AC/ Greene & Greene/Stickley furniture, the joinery in Chinese furniture is often more complicate and always hidden out of site. I inherited a bunch of Chinese rosewood furniture and have been guessing about the joinery based on what can be seen - from the inside and underside of pieces. A dining chair has it's rear leg/apron/frame and panel chair seat frame corner opening up and I have been able to confirm that my guess for this joint was right.
Have done a SketchUp model of that joint you can download and play with (SU is free from Google) and Chris Scholz has contributed a model of another version of this joint in a table. Have a look.
charlie b