I think you can hold both that the attempts at Western "democratization" in China are a cynical, imperialist political ploy to destabilize and discredit a competitor AND that the current construction of Chinese socialism has nothing to do with socialism, and that the Chinese state is not attempting to build socialism whatsoever.

Before the China stans call my some ignorant Anglo, please explain to my ignorant Yankee ass how China is building socialism. I recognize that in terms of global capitalist domination, it is FAR preferable to have China as the world's superpower rather than the US empire and it's western European satellites. I sincerely hope China can subvert US domination. But I have seen no evidence that China is actually building socialism and empowering the working class and displaced peoples at the expense of the capitalist class. How can a country that allows billionaires to exist while it's working population continues to suffer under (granted conditions are gradually improving) capitalist domination claim to be advancing socialism?