Once they lose that economic capability, control gets dicey.
The ONLY reason many chinese support CCP/PLA is the incredible increase in their standard of living over the past 30 years. The fact that they can buy cars, take trips and have modern conveniences allows them to ‘overlook’ the more egregious human rights aspects of communist control. No different than the average german who benefitted from nice roads, trains that ran on time and guaranteed employment overlooked their semitic neighbors ‘going up the chimney.’
Once those supply chains move...that standard of living will crash.
Its also a top-down control culture.
New boss same (effectively) as old boss!
The Chinese people have tasted freedom in a way that German’s could have never imagined. The leadership is losing control...then suddenly this magic ‘virus’ appears allowing them to flex their muscle.
It’s amazing how such a horrific virus has not left hundreds of thousand, if no millions of dead bodies scattered across Asia and Europe isn’t it? If not for the ‘heroic’ efforts of the Chinese government....