Part 9/17:
What many overlook is that it wasn't socialist policies but market reforms that spurred China’s rapid economic development. When private enterprise and a degree of market freedom were allowed, Chinese society thrived. The decline in poverty from over 80% to under 1% is directly attributable to these policies.
Most of China's recent “progress” is rooted in shifting away from central planning, not in the supposed success of socialism. As evidence, Hong Kong and Taiwan—regions with strong Chinese cultural roots—are wealthier, more economically free, and have higher GDP per capita than mainland China, which is still under the CCP's control.
This underscores the fact that the country’s economic gains are in spite of—but not because of—its socialist policies.