i use what you call their "failure" on an every day basis. id say the tor project is a success, and allows decentralized anonymous internet traffic in and out of china.

big problem is more people in china need to use it to benefit from the freedom of information it provides, and many in china have the mentality "if it does not directly affect me its safer not to care"

also for those not affected it might be hard to understand if everything you ever know is taught in combination with idolization, making many chinese i know say their religion is the communist party, that the intentions of the party dont allignn necessarily with the countries well being... this has caused a backlash during the corona crisis, a thing the ccp tried to cover up and affected more people than the party is willing to admit...