well, some my personal experience might can show something.
1.
when I was a mid-school student in 1990s,some Honkongese visted my school and donated some bottled-waters/instant-noodles,for they wanted to show so sympathy at the poverty in my hometown.
at that time, I heard that Honghong was so rich that even waiters in Hongkong could earn 1300USD(10K hongkong dollar) every month. that is almost 26 times more than my father's monthly salary (only 50 USD/400RMB, as I know).
2. in 2011, I got married and visited Hongkong,where I heard that the monthly salary of most local employees was about 1300-2600 USD(10-20K HK dollars),just a bit more than it was 20 years ago.
that year, I was promoted and bought my first house and cars . at that time my monthly salary was about 15K USD,almost equal to the one of hongkongese ordinary employees. my father's pension was about 400USD(3K RMB)/month.
After visiting Hongkong, my wife and I visited combodia(Angkor wat) and found that most ordianry people there could earn only 50 USD everty month, which was exactly same as my father's one 15 years ago.( my father's pension was about 500USD or 30K RMB)/month in 2011).
Near Angkor wat,My wife and I donated some food/bottled-waters to one school there,for this time I was happy to play a role of a donor,instead of donee.
3. last year, my families visted Taiwan and I was amazed that the yearly salary of Taiwanese univ. proffessors was about 20-30K USD(1-1.5M taiwan dollars),which was even considerably less than mine,althought Taiwan is widely accepted as a "developed economy" so called.
besides, the starting monthly salary of Taiwanese college graudates. was 600-900USD(20-30K taiwan dollar),which was almost as same as it was 20 years ago.
at that time, my father's pension was about 600USD(4000RMB)/month,which was quite close to the starting salary of Taiwanese college graduates.
what impressed me most during my trip to Taiwan is the $hitty infrastructure in Taiwan.........frankly speaking, Taipei, Taiwanese capital,looked like a $hity underdeveloped large countytown .
4. in a word, CCP did its job quite well, in fact, it did its job best in lifing its people's quality of life in the world perhaps.
Under its rule, CHinese real quality of life has be lifted so rapidly.....
now, CHinese can tell which country is admrable and which country is Shithole,by visiting those country themselves.