Served Chinese entrepreneurs but that isn't the same thing as served the Chinese people.

For instance, at the time when Google was kicked out of China essentially leaving their market a Baidu monopoly, Baidu lacked many useful features of Google especially if you wanted to search for non-Chinese websites (e.g. if you were a scientist wanting to do international research). The PRC didn't care. Having a pliable and controlled 'captain of industry' in the form of the Baidu founder was a more important goal to them, than the convenience of their own people.

Repeat that story a million times and you have an economy that looks superficially strong but makes its people miserable .... oh wait no it doesn't, because the censorship and language barriers ensure most people have no idea what they're missing out on.