Another factor to understand is that China has a foundational myth which influences behaviour. Essentially the idea is not to rock the boat because history show

Another factor to understand is that China has a foundational myth which influences behaviour. Essentially the idea is not to rock the boat because history shows so much pain and bloodshed in the founding of the country. A demonstration risks not only destabilision of this myth, it risks bloodshed and massacres because stability was won after so much pain. To be Chinese in a certain way is to work against chaos. As much as to be British is to maintain the dignity of individual persons. It's kind of hard to find a western equivalent which uses the hard lessons of history. Maybe something like the rule of law?