An important aspect to consider as well is the lack of an illegal second economy in the PRC due to their socialist market economy. While the USSR may have (emphasis on may, don’t have the stats in front of me) had a larger planned economy at its peak the PRC has managed to prevent any need for the formation of a second economy as was the case (and downfall) in the USSR. If we’re taking strength as in output and stability, the PRC can produce many goods the USSR could not and is preventing a materialist basis for capitalism from forming in a way the USSR never did