“China is evolving politically to be acceptable to the majority thqat is young and prospering and intent on continuing to prosper.”
No, politically, China is as unchnaged under the current Comunist leaders as it was under the old ones. Just ask the Hong Kongers who know the noose is gradually doing away with the political differences they were supposed to be keeping.
Free to travel? Yes. And many other purely economic related things? Yes. But to the dictators those are privileges granted and not rights and depending on a Chinese persons poltiical activity subject to be taken away at any time.
The state control, propaganda control, secret political police, political prisoners, and everything else a political monopoly under dictators remains. In real terms there has been ZERO POLITICAL liberalization in China.
Xi has recently got his desire to remain in charge as long as he wants rubber stamped by the rubber stamp “peoples” Congress.
Alternatively, Xi is now in a powerful position to make changes toward controlleed modernization of China.
He is faced with a problem of both extreme modern societal elements and extreme backward, fundamentally very old elements.
The twain does meet. I watched a series on China and in the Tibet episode the populace celebrated a very very ancient erection of a huge maypole like holiday structure.
One of those involved was clad in Jeans and a Stetson Hat. I could only wonder how the jeans and especially the very American Western Straw Stetson made it to the far far outreaches of Tibet and became the ordinary clothing of a local cattleman.