China is not at all like Cuba. China has a major industrial base, Cuba cannot manage to even produce enough salt, sugar or feminine hygiene products to keep up with demand. China has grown from an economy smaller than Italy's in the late 1970's to the world's second largest. Cuba is decaying and falling apart.
Both countries repress their citizens, but neither has as high a percentage of citizens in prisons and jails as the US.
China's leaders are still improving the infrastructure, Cuba's leaders are mostly just giving speeches. Cuba is far more corrupt than China.