> If their [Uighur] oppression is less harsh than other peoples China has oppressed in the past? Maybe.

Are you aware of what's happening to Uighurs? Systematic rape & torture in concentration camps [1], ethnic cleansing on a scale that can be seen in population growth stats [2]. An educated person like you who knows about Uighur oppression surely knows about what's happening. What oppression is this relatively improving upon?

Do you want to argue that China's treatment of Uighur could be relatively better? Why don't you start by saying something in support of that assertion. It's hard to take "maybe it is" as a serious response.

> Hong Kong has less than 10 million people. Their lives would get worse. China has 1.4 billion people. What if their lives get a little better?

Ok, how has HK's brutal annexation improved the oppression on the rest of China? This is just another "maybe it's better?" response.

> I think the fact the internet is allowed at all in China is likely a step towards less repression than what existed before for the majority of their citizens.

Again, this is twisted totalitarian logic. The CCP's dystopian restrictions were never necessary or even helpful in allowing Chinese access to the internet/media. You cannot take away something rightfully & naturally theirs then restore it in a lesser state and claim this is a net benefit.

> The Chinese population is becoming more educated, affluent and connected. (...) China has opened up their economy quite a bit. (...) I think all of that leads to China actually caring more and responding more positively to outside calls for change with regard to negative policies.

So, are you going to point out examples of this? Let's recount some things that happened during China's affluent rise in no particular order:

- The CCP began an unprecedented ethnic cleansing and targeted detainment campaign on Uighurs

- They brutally annexed a formerly liberal Hong Kong and removed their freedoms while not borrowing any liberal policies from HK to the rest of the mainland

- Xi became president for life and enshrined his name and ideology into the constitution [3]

- Destroyed Jack Ma as a govt critic [4] - one of the most elite members of the affluent, educated, connected class you suggest is being empowered. He's been indefinitely detained and removed from his life's work while his character has been assassinated on government controlled social media with an online mob incited in hatred against him.

- Exporting its censorship by leveraging its newfound economic connections with Hollywood [5]

- Expelled foreign journalists [6]

So do you have examples of lessening oppression from all this economic growth you speak glowingly of? It's lovely to hear that "all of that leads to China actually caring more", but I hope you haven't forgotten to demonstrate why that is possibly true.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55794071

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53220713

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-43361276

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/technology/china-jack-ma-...

[5] https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53676789

[6] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/chinese-officials-stifle-e...