Yeah before covid I didn't give China much thought at all. They were just a "capitalist country pretending to be socialist" and I pretty much dismissed them out of hand.

Then covid happened, as you said. And moreover, there has been a steady stream of opinion polls coming from around the world that show that they are - BY FAR - considered the most "democratic" country based on what their own people perceive.

I ended up picking up Xi's book as well, and I'm sold now.