Xi's book "Governance of China" reveals exactly what "... with Chinese Characteristics" means.

Marx's himself saw an "intermediate step" as essential on the long march from Capitalism to Marxism. This is Xi's sweet spot between Capitalism's Unplannable, Dangerous Freedom and Marxism's Grinding, Murderous Destitution. A simple, pre-approved doctrinal technicality within the 'true' Marxist construct. He goes out of his way to specifically state that it will be necessary to remain here a "very long time".

Current Chinese leadership have been around long enough to remember the bloody Cultural Revolution and can mentally conceive what repeating it would be like (as opposed to Collegiate American Marxists that are fully clueless to what this level of violence truly entails).

While there is much wrong with China, one has to admire Xi's (and two predecessor's) ability to understand, conceive, advocate and move the country from mass murder (by Mao's standard) to mass production while keeping the shell corporation of control intact.