China is still here, and still socialist, and it isn't leaving. This is because of Democratic Centralism, a fast and cohesive way to adapt to changing conditions while retaining democratic input. For less urgent decisions, the PRC has slower, more comprehensive, bottom-up systems, while it focuses more on a top-down approach for system-wide changes and direction. It's kinda like "top down, from the bottom up."

I agree with pragmatism over idealism, that's why I'm a communist and push for socialism. Socialism is immensely practical.