Chaos in the China stock market!

[Blue3]

I remember the CCP being terrified of the PRC becoming a democracy for three reasons:

1. Afraid that a democratic China would allow nationalism to run amok and start a war with Japan (for WW2 revenge), Taiwan (re-establish unity and show strength), or the United States (show the world that China is back to its former glory).

2. Afraid that a democratic China would be less likely to raise more people out of poverty without a centralized planning approach, since the CCP's anti-poverty program over the last few decades is the most successful in human history. Or that attempts to do so would just lead to capitalistic short-sightedness and further environmental devastation.

3. Afraid that a democratic China would eventually lead to a civil war or USSR-style disintegration, with the western provinces declaring independence.

(and that all three would devastate the world economy too)

[Blue3]

Yeah, China is facing a demographic time bomb. The CCP admits they'll probably slow to 2% growth by 2030. Their plan is to use their economic engine to raise as many people out of poverty, and put China in a strong and stable a place as possible (domestically and internationally), before that time. But they're worried it could come sooner than planned.