this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2025
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Alright, there are a lot of claims you threw out with sources including "we all know it," so I'll break them down into their claims and address each.
By far "maintaining the status quo" is the number 1 preference in Taiwan, neither preferring independence nor reunification. I am especially curious to see how this changes in the coming months due to the trade war, and the US backing off of Taiwan.
Hong Kong is semi-autonomous and has relative control over its own unique sphere of economic structure, though is favoring increased ties with the broader PRC as that's better economically. They are happy to be free from British colonial rule.
Generally high approval rates for the CPC, which nationally has over 90% approval rates. There are also 25 Uyghurs in the 13th NPC, higher than Han Chinese by proportion of population.
In general, there isn't civil unrest over a lack of representation. In 2019 there were western-backed protests in Hong Kong, but those have faded and barely made a slim majority in popular approval even at the peak approval rating. Now it is far lower. Instead, faith in the government is rising, coalescing with improving material conditions:
The DPRK isn't a dictatorship. It isn't even a one-party state, it has 3 that form a coalition government. It's quite a comprehensive system, and works based on the concept of approval voting.
Overall, though, information that is accurate is scarce, due to its secluded nature. It is heavily throttled like Cuba is, by brutal sanctions and embargo, and unlike Cuba, 80% of their buildings were destroyed, and a quarter of their population massacred during the Korean War. More tons of bombs were dropped on Korea in general than the Pacific Front in World War II, to add context.
Vietnam is rising dramatically in recent years. Laos is struggling a bit more, but it is making rapid improvements.
Western Human Rights orgs are almost entirely state-funded and for the purpose of exerting soft power, they don't actually represent much.
Your biggest error though, is comparing the metrics of developing countries on even ground with developed Imperialist countries that gain their wealth by carving it out of the Global South. Finland, Sweden, the UK, EU, and US in general are Imperialist, and rely on predatory loans that require privatization of key resources and industries for foreign plundering. Production is outsourced so that the lives of the average Swede are built on the backs of brutal conditions in the Global South, and this is facilitated by Financial Capital. I recommend reading these resources:
Taiwan isn't seeking independence, if you actually read the source indepencence is a minority position, just as unification is. They want to maintain their government, but in the economic sphere of the PRC.
Hong Kong indeed had a protest, that was western-backed, and that the majority largely did not support. They want inclusion with the PRC while maintaining some level of autonomy, which is what they have.
Polling within China backs what I said. The survey I linked even addresses your fears of "punishment" being a motivating factor:
I didn't provide a link to "state-sponsored propaganda" regarding the DPRK, while your source was "we all know it," ie you had nothing but blind assertion.
Then you go into conspiracy theory territory and call me state-sponsored, rather than actually engage with my sources and arguments. You don't have any counters to my arguments or sources to refute mine, so you attack me personally. That's not an effective form of getting your point across, and lets me highlight that you would rather spend effort attacking me than my arguments, undermining the authenticity of yours. Not to be a debate-bro, but you are helping me prove my points.