That's a good point. I think there's a case that their approach might be a factor in how they managed to contain the virus. Considering how bad the outbreak was at one point, it was some achievement.

This might be a theme in Southeast Asian countries, as Vietnam and Thailand also did well up until the Delta variant arrived. Maybe they place a higher value on collective good rather than individual freedoms.

Of course, China and Vietnam are, nominally, Communist states, and Thailand is a monarchy as far as I'm aware. So that might be a factor too.