[amayne]

One difference is that in the US and other Western countries is that these metrics don’t only come from one state-authorized authority. Investment firms, news outlets, economists routinely check these metrics and offer their own. In China, someone saying that the government is wrong, won’t get much traction. Dissenting Chinese economists are actively censored.

While information freedom doesn’t mean the official metrics are accurate, lack of freedom is a warning sign and should be treated with extreme skepticism.