Memes

The CPC is Communist as in they are a Communist party operating on Marxist understanding and analysis. The PRC is Socialist, what the CPC calls Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Communism as the ideology, not the late-stage, stateless, classless, moneyless society bit.

No problem.

1. China isn't a one-party state, it has 8 other parties than the CPC that function in cooperation, each with different special interests. Moreover, many officials are democratically elected. The structure is democratic, and the people support its system. Moreover, political engagement in the US is lower because it doesn't actually impact anything.

2. No problem!

3. The Chinese people do have an impact on policy, quite a dramatic one. I think you need to do more research in how China's structure works, it's best desribed as "top-down, from the bottom-up." As for why people may support "censorship," the people of China may believe it is in their best interests to restrict the private influence on information that allows the Bourgeoisie to have a dictatorial control over the press, as is the case in Capitalist countries.

4. This is going to take a while, so please bear with me.

The idea that Socialism means full ownership in public hands is wrong, and anti-Marxist. To take such a stance means either Capitalism and Feudalism have never existed either, the sort of "one-drop" rule, or that Socialism itself is a unique Mode of Production that needs to be judged based on "purity" while the rest do not, a conception that has roots in idealism rather than Materialism.

Modes of Production should be defined in a manner that is consistent. If we hold this definition for Socialism, then either it means a portion of the economy can be Socialist, ie USPS, or a worker cooperative, or it means an economy is only Socialist if all property has been collectivized.

For the former, this definition fails to take into account the context to which portions of the economy play in the broader scope, and therefore which class holds the power in society. A worker cooperative in the US, ultimately, must deal with Capitalist elements of the economy. Whether it be from the raw materials they use being from non-cooperatives, to the distributors they deal with, to the banks where they gain the seed Capital, they exist as a cog in a broader system dominated by Capitalists in the US. Same with USPS, which exists in a country where heavy industry and resources are privatized, it serves as a way to subsidize transport for Capitalists. The overall power in a system must be judged.

For the latter, this "one drop" rule, if equally applied, means Feudalism and Capitalism have never existed either. There is no reason Socialism should be judged any differently from Capitalism or Feudalism.

What Socialism ultimately is is a system where the Working Class is in control, and public ownership is the principle aspect of society. If a rubber ball factory is privately owned but the rubber factory is public, the public sector holds more power over the economy. In the Nordics, heavy industry is privatized for the most part, and social safety nets are funded through loans and ownership of industry in the Global South, similar to being a landlord in country form. In the PRC, heavy industry and large industry is squarely in the hands of the public, which is why Capitalists are subservient to the State, rather than the other way around.

As for the purpose of Socialism, it is improving the lives of the working class in material and measurable ways. Public ownership is a tool, one especially effective at higher degrees of development. Markets and private ownership are a tool, one that can be utilized more effectively at lower stages in development. Like fire, private ownership presents real danger in giving Capitalists more power, but also like fire this does not mean we cannot harness it and should avoid it entirely, provided the proper precautions are taken.

Moreover, markets are destined to centralize. Markets erase their own foundations. The reason public ownership is a goal for Marxists is because of this centralizing factor, as industry gets more complex public ownership increasingly becomes more efficient and effective. Just because you can publicly own something doesn't mean the act of ownership improves metrics like life expectancy and literacy, public ownership isn't some holy experience that gives workers magic powers. Public ownership and Private ownership are tools that play a role in society, and we believe Public Ownership is undeniably the way to go at higher phases in development because it becomes necessary, not because it has mystical properties.

Ultimately, it boils down to mindsets of dogmatism or pragmatism. Concepts like "true Socialism" treat Marx as a religious prophet, while going against Marx's analysis! This is why studying Historical and Dialectical Materialism is important, as it explains the why of Marxism and Socialism in a manner that can be used for real development of the Working Class and real liberation. When taken consistently, AES states do in fact fit into the categorization of "Socialist," even your original definition would categorize them as such.

Kind of a late reply, but

Chinese leaders are not directly elected and a country has a single-party system with quite some infighting going on.

Leaders don't need to, and imo shouldn't be directly elected.

We see the pitfalls of that in western societies quite a bit, where most governments' top level legislatures/executives are staffed by absolute buffoons and ghouls. Elections in western democracies are glorified contests to see who can fundraise and manipulate people better. The accountability of leaders that elections are supposed to provide in practice doesn't exist either. Leaders are pretty much only up for challenge once ever 4-6 years, by which point people forget all the bad things they did.

Electing the heads of states and legislatures is in reality ideological ceremony. It legitimizes their power on the basis that they pinky promise to do what they campaigned on.