China

Can't go back to China right now because of Corona travel restrictions but I still keep in touch with family. Most of them live in tier 2/3 cities so life is pretty good and "normal". Some are still farmers though and they've seen the biggest improvements over the past 30 years where in the 90s they were in small dingy brick huts with 2 rooms and now they have a state provided apartment and a cheap utility van (Wuling is pretty much a meme at this point but hey it's cheap and it hauls produce).

I've seen an increase in disillusionment with the America worshipping where going abroad to study or work was the thing to do but now at least with the talks I've had with my own extended family that interest has died down a lot. The mass media in China has also become more patriotic and overtly communist (e.g. Korean war and Taiwan reunification focus, increasing coverage on CPC projects) which probably has something to do with it.

As for COVID, yeah it's business as usual. Affected regions get locked down and tested hard, not uncommon to have the entire population of a county tested 5 times in 2 weeks. But then once shit calms down people can go outside again and do normal people things, which is a luxury I haven't had in a while.

If foreigners are planning to visit (once restrictions are lifted) I'd still recommend staying in tier 1/2 cities and the touristy places because I think a lot of first world citizens get really shocked when they see a developing country doing development and it sort of breaks their brains that they have to squat to shit (srsly how are y'all such weak squatters it's really not that hard) or sometimes experience environments that aren't perfectly sterile and geared towards utility over comfort.