I sincerely doubt that's happening. A lot of Chinese money is leaving China for destinations where it can't be seized by the government. While there are lucrative opportunities in China for the well-connected, a fair chunk of capital has left because the risk of being on the losing end of a factional dispute (a la Bo Xilai) is too high. A lot of that money probably finds its way into index funds, in which Yum Brands is a perennial component, since it spun off from Pepsico. I'd guess that some Chinese nationalist, who might also be taking bribes from local restaurant chains, is sticking it to KFC.
This stuff has nothing to do with communism, and everything to do with local businesses working the system to tilt the playing field in their favor. The only reason the Communist label has been retained is because the party's more or less a theocratic cult with Mao as a kind of supreme deity. The collapse of that folk religion could result in civil disturbances and factional fights that might boil over into full-scale civil war.
If communism meant nothing and was a scourge upon the Chinese, then the ancient Chinese tradition of holding grudges and settling scores in blood comes into play. Given the massive body count racked up by Mao and his henchmen, a serious bloodletting that makes Syria look like a walk in the park isn't unthinkable. There are plenty of descendants of landlords and other petit bourgeoisie who know how their ancestors were hacked to pieces, summarily shot, tortured or starved to death in labor camps. They've been indoctrinated about how their parents' and grandparents' deaths were good and necessary for the advancement of the nation. If Communism as a state religion is repudiated lock, stock and barrel as a huge mistake, it's Ceausescu time.
Special thanks for this cogent summary this is what really happened:
"Given the massive body count racked up by Mao and his henchmen, a serious bloodletting that makes Syria look like a walk in the park isn't unthinkable. There are plenty of descendants of landlords and other petit bourgeoisie who know how their ancestors were hacked to pieces, summarily shot, tortured or starved to death in labor camps. They've been indoctrinated about how their parents' and grandparents' deaths were good and necessary for the advancement of the nation. If Communism as a state religion is repudiated lock, stock and barrel as a huge mistake, it's Ceausescu time."
I did read that the Communists studied NEP and Deng grilled Armand Hammer about it. Hammer was there in Russia at the time of Lenin.
I do honestly believe that the destruction of the PRC from within is preferable to all out war -- however I do not believe that freedom would result nor the threat of war but the threat would be delayed.