If I go with my "politics" (I am pretty much apolitical in real life and consider the topic a lost cause, just so you understand my perspective), I go for automation almost 100% of the time. If I can, I also try to get regional partners involved in this but it is not a requirement by any means, and get as much trade as I can beyond that with both East & West. I actually put Deng as Minister Of Foreign Affairs, and associate both with France & CMEA. I either fund my own bloc if possible or remain neutral.

Internally I tend to keep things at a reformist/moderate pace at first, shift from Cultural Revolution to state supervision and keep State Monopoly Capitalism. I keep China as Unitary and leave Hua Guofeng in charge most of the time. I allow Family farms.

Apart from that, I put a strong focus on fighting corruption and meeting the needs of the population, which in my mind means developing and implementing better technologies as soon as I can. I go first for practical ones - once I have all three main branches (Agriculture, Industry, Military & Intelligence) maxed out, I go for Space.

When the time comes, I almost always implement Automation, it is a bit difficult to survive the transition to it but it makes sense for that and also it is super-satisfying to do away with corruption and obsolescence entirely.

Also, I almost always knock out Pol Pot when given the chance. The other times I help Vietnam.

What I think is the best ending in the game:

Internally within China: An Automated Economy, One Party with the meritocratic modifier (Requires getting rid of the Gang of Four and Deng Xengping), Full Liberalisation for civil rights, Secular State for religious rights, either Federation or Union of Autonomies and a contract army. Basically Democratic Socialism.

Modifiers include Collective Farms, Constitution of 1926 (Conservatives and Moderates), Bullet Train Network Civilians in the Military, One party with multiple factions and term limits, shoulder straps, Helsinki Accords and a free Tibet and Uyghur state. Also a cautious departure from Mao.
All technologies get researched and the creation of an international space station and international moon base.

Externally outside of China: Restoring relationships with the Soviet Union then joining both CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) and the Warsaw Pact. Dissolve both NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and the EEC (European Economic Community). Create both the European Socialist Union and the United Arab Republics as well as the union state between Israel and Palestine as well as a neutral Germany. Save Yugoslavia via the Soviet Union.

Also reunite Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan using force, secure both the Philippines and Japan, Unite Korea and bring socialism to India.