capitalizing the surname is probably to help Westerners figure out which it is.

Well, except that's not what I meant. I was suggesting that, in certain contexts, the family name might be emphasized for any one.. Thus you might see a list of names of entries in the 1500 meter race, e.g.:

LI, Shi Min
DUPREE, René
SCHWARTZ, Siegfried
LUGOSI, Bela
IWASAKI, Junichi
SANZA, Pancho

Just a stylistic thing and not particularly aimed at Chinese names or even at names from nationalities that traditionally put the family name first