Earlier quoted context omitted.
The problem is that some of those impressions you got about China are manufactured as part of the politics. Things can't be so torn, can they? Now it's your job to figure out which ones are manufactured and which ones are not.
I truly believe that the majority of Chinese civilians are well treated under their current government. I also think the treatment of the Uyghurs is scary. That the control of media flowing into China is so controlled that the people are not free. The lack of democracy means there are not enough checks and balances to keep the people free. The way the one child policy has been enforced is not humane. The oppression o…
If you're in southeast asia the calculus changes. But the cost benefit analysis really leans against annexing hostile locals these days unless it's some nationalist mythology like China and Taiwan. And if you're in southeast asia I'd say future heat waves and climate disasters means you'll be more likely heading north into China than them heading south.
If it's a soft ideological takeover you're envisioning then that's really the responsibility of the democratic society you live in. Democracy falls when people no longer believe in its ideas or that it is an effective way of governance.