I guess holding them up to the standards set by the Soviet Union’s ideological commitments in foreign policy is asking too much despite the former having achieved far bigger financial and productive dominance.

The PRC does not have military dominance compared with the SU. The SU during the 60s had more nukes than the PRC has right now in 2026. You can't have a SU foreign policy without a SU military to back up that policy, and what the PLA currently has right now doesn't cut it (although that will change very soon).

The entire Warsaw Pact had 69k tanks ready to drive west and push the Atlanticist bourgeoisie straight to the Atlantic they love so much. The PLA does not have 69k tanks. The PLA doesn't even have a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.