Appreciate your response, thanks for the clarity. I think whoever downvoted me thought I was being insincere but I really wasn't - it's not a weird idea to expect a country that calls itself communist to have something resembling a welfare state!

A lot of people like to say "China is actually a lot like America" with a big smirk

- plenty conservatism

- weak welfare state

- big

- diverse-ish, but with single dominant ethnic group

- aging gerontocracy (but that's everywhere)

- real estate fetish