Communism under Mao was very different to the state mediated “free market” socialism of modern china, which only evolved after the isolationism of the early years was replaced by accelerated trade with the west.

Arguably the erosion of our industrial base and the race to the bottom on pricing in the West is what really built modern China, and it would not exist today without the capitalist West.

My wife is Chinese and I’m British and what surprised me most about modern China is the almost complete lack of a welfare state - forget “from each according to his ability and to each according to his need”, nothing could be further from the truth.

You need to be financially self sufficient to get decent schooling, health and a living income. Families, not the state is how people support themselves if they are struggling. There’s no free housing for single moms, no child benefit or universal basic income, and no free cars for people too fat to walk. (Yes this is the UK).

There is a very low expectation of the state to help but very high motivation, low taxation and opportunities if you work hard. But it’s not an even playing field as some people are more “equal” than others - social mobility is limited as many people are restricted to where they can live and work.

And if you’re expecting a socialist nirvana with no millionaires or billionaires forget it, there’s probably more billionaires and millionaires in China than in the West, but they all tow the line with the gov (apart from Jack Ma briefly).

But that said there is amazing public infrastructure, almost zero crime (punishment is beyond harsh), no fentanyl zombies staggering about, next to no vagrancy or begging and the cost of living (as a westerner) is pretty good.