China has experimented with thermal updraft towers and actually built prototypes.
http://helioscsp.com/chinas-first-solar-tower-plant-starts-operating-in-desert/
but not with a great deal of success. As in Spain the problems seem to be around the collector. See comment in
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...lar-updraft-towers-convert-hot-air-to-energy/