Notice there are a lot of negative comments about the USA. Most of us find plenty of faults with the United States, but we keep some perspective too, realizing on the Chinese internet such criticisms wouldn't last long before removal.

The "so what" is that effective systems have a breaking point. The CCP can work for some people, but if it comes at the expense of ethic cleansing (the Uighurs) or violent territorial aggression (Taiwan/Hong Kong) then it's not worth it. All of the countries China tries so desperately to woo agree.

In your own words - those people can choose for themselves. The Chinese government does not respect their decision either way. If China's next moves are to follow in Russia's footsteps, they will be rejected as a member of the first-world altogether (as Putin recently found out). If they somehow dominate despite that, then they will rule over nothing but ashes.