China has only freed up its markets somewhat--- yet I don't think anyone would claim the people of Red China are LESS free than in, say, the seventies. Increased freedom to buy and sell has made China a virtual utopia compared to the hellhole Castro has made out of Cuba, which by all rights should be rich and productive.
But don't be fooled. China is NOT economically free.
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=China
Its explosive growth is being driven in large part by foriegn investors who don't want to be left out in the cold when China removes its head out of its ass enough to compete with the U.S. and Japan.
Economic freedom works AGAINST political tyranny, not with it: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=70&release=329
That's why Putin stopped listening to the American-style free market conservative Andrei Illarianov and kicked him out. Illarianov's advice, if followed, would have loosened the control of the government via corporatism.
Sorry--- I meant to say Illarianov's advice, if followed, would have loosened the the government's control over the people, which the government currently maintains via corporatism. Obviously, as a free market proponent,Illarianov is against the corporatism of the Putin regime.