China’s example is massive. China’s success has proven that countries can succeed without adopting western liberal freedoms. In fact, success adopting only a small subset of economic and personal freedoms, and none of the political freedoms. The economy is good, the state is stable.. Proof of concept for non-liberal systems. This means freedoms need to be argued for on their own merits. Free speech for its own sake.…
That highly depends on your definition of success. An argument can be made that at least part if not all of the West is failing just as China has to provide a free society. At least in the U.S., free speech and other rights have always been argued "for their own sakes" and that's why the constitution sees them as inalienable. These rights do not exist to make society better or people's lives less hard, they exist because the people have decided that they come before government and are essential to life. They have decided that these rights exist a priori. Unfortunately, we have mostly failed to protect them as such even after enshrining them in the constitution. Our government has just failed a little less than China's.