I too hold a similar view that practical experience which leads to tangible successes matters far more than theoretical or ideological validation. I am a Marxist after all, and as such I abide by the scientific method when analyzing political economy.

There are many valid criticisms of China, both from a theoretical and material standpoint, but from a practical standpoint I believe they still serve the goals of Socialism by, in much the same way the USSR once did, acting as buffer against Western imperialism and total US domination, as well as being a pressure valve for the international proletariat in the Global South to relieve economic and political pressure from the Global North. They could stand to do a much better job in those respects, but this is still a concrete truth in 2025.

Also, allow me to share the views of the late Fidel Castro on China, from an interview he made with an Italian liberal journalist in 1993:

Moreover, although it is true that the Soviet Union self-destructed, neither China nor Vietnam has self-destructed. We speak so much about the socialism that disappeared in the Soviet Union, why don’t we speak about Chinese socialism?

Gawronski: So China is a role model for you?

Castro: It’s an experiment that must be studied. The Chinese themselves say that no one should automatically imitate what others are doing. They acknowledge the mistake they made in applying the Soviet experience mechanically in the early years. But if you want to talk about socialism, you must not forget what socialism has done in China. Once it was a country of hunger, poverty, disasters — today there is none of that. Today China feeds, clothes, cares for, and educates 1.2 billion people. Recently, Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a visit to Havana. He is an intelligent, educated, and understanding person — he made an excellent impression on me.

Gawronski: But China, even if it’s remained socialist politically, is trying to move away from socialism economically. On the other hand, Cuba still seems to be solidly socialist. Isn’t it difficult to be the only socialist country when everything around you is changing?

Castro: I think China is a socialist country, and Vietnam is a socialist country as well. And they insist that they’ve introduced all the necessary reforms, precisely to stimulate development and to continue advancing towards the objectives of socialism. There are no chemically pure regimes or systems. In Cuba, for example, we have many forms of private property. We have tens of thousands of landowners who own, in some cases, up to 45 hectares; in Europe they would be considered latifundistas. Practically all Cubans own their own homes and, what’s more, we are more than open to foreign investment. But none of this detracts from Cuba’s socialist character.

What’s certain is that we will never make the mistake of destroying the country to make something new. We will not make the mistake of plunging our country into chaos, into anarchy, to solve the problems we have, because that would be the only way to never solve them.

Full interview if anyone is interested: https://redsails.org/fidel-and-gawronski/