Memes

Apology accepted!

For the PRC, specifically with respect to the "Great Firewall," it's largely a two-fold measure.

1. It forces internal internet development, rather than relying on the present system flooded by western capital. This forces self-reliance.

2. The west has huge amounts of money and a near total control on information, and has historically used it in "Radio Free X" news stations to propagandize against and undermine socialism in the real world. It keeps control out of the hands of capitalists in the PRC, which is critical in a country where class struggle is very much alive and constant.

The people use VPNs if they want to, it isn't very strictly enforced against. Ultimately, what's important is that, in the information age, China has sovereignty over its own infrastructure and the working class is in charge. This is directly shown in huge approval rates, and rapid development from democratically decided Five Year Plans. China has taken a scientific approach to production and development, and while they have a long way to go, they've come farther than anyone else in far shorter of an amount of time.

I'm not saying you have to abandon anarcho-communism (though I once was an anarchist myself), I just encourage you to take a sympathetic approach rather than an antagonistic one when trying to understand the system the people of China have fought and died for, and work day in and day out with pride to continue building up.