This doesn't stop tankies from being pro-Russia and pro-China. Modern tankies are absolutely happy with oligarchies and gigacorporations running the world, they just hate western society.

In essence, they worship authoritarianism rather than communism itself.

I'd say the difference between a tankie and a socialist is that a socialist wants equality and well-being for everyone and tankies just want people they don't like to die at the hands of an authoritarian regime, regardless of whether it's actually a communist regime.