This is just the default behavior in China (and most past and present AES countries). In China, saying you're a communist means you're a card-carrying member of a communist party. If you're in the party for purely careerist aims or you cheated your way into becoming a member, people will say that you're a shitty communist but a communist nonetheless. Meanwhile, nobody gives two shits if you think communism is cool and act like the perfect communist, whatever the hell that means, if you're not a member of a party. China isn't like the US where you can never go to church but still claim to be a Christian because you "have a personal relationship with Jesus." China is a place where you can disbelief the existence of gods but if you perform the proper religious rites, people will say that you are devoutly religious.