> you don't know many facts inside China like most English reader in HN who get most misinformation on Western media
What are specific things you feel most Westerners are clearly misinformed about China?
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Maybe not straight up misinformed, but from my experience, many Westerns know very little about China's history and how it affects their outlook and actions.
One reason Chinese rulers crack down hard on religious cults because they have a history of sowing widespread chaos and death if not kept in check:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion#Death_toll
Led by a guy who claimed to be Jesus Christ's brother. 20-30 million is in the range of WW1 casualties.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19437920 has some other examples
I read quite a bit of Chinese history but it’s true many westerners haven’t. Your comment seems a little off the mark considering the content of the article you shared.
> because they have a history of sowing widespread chaos and death if not kept in check
From the article:
>The Taiping Rebellion began in the southern province of Guangxi _when local officials launched a campaign of religious persecution against a millenarian sect_
The Qing was doing pretty badly as a state in the face of exploding population, famines, rise of banditry and a deeply corrupt administration. It was a general time of upheaval with people looking for change, as evidenced by the fact that there were multiple other rebellions going on at the same time. The Taiping was another political movement with religious trappings. Not saying Xiuquan was right but it seems their main crime, as with all failed revolts, was losing.
I’m not religious but it’s popular now to sneer at religion and toss it off as _the cause_ for events like the Taiping. And that’s not supported by the evidence or context.
Cracking down on (religion|information|other parties|opposition|internet) because your old and highly centralized state cannot tolerate competition without falling apart? That’s seems more like it. Not “religion” per se.
分久必合，合久必分
Chinese historiography sees China's periodic breakup and reconstitution as part of a cycle, where both changes are demanded by the times. The chaos of a decrepit state or the chaos of a country split into warring regions are both equally intolerable.
However, hard experience has also taught the Chinese that every one of these struggles cause the common people to suffer greatly and for millions to die (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Lushan_Rebellion#Death_toll , although there's some debate here)
> Not saying Xiuquan was right but it seems their main crime, as with all failed revolts, was losing.
Yes, the crime was losing—if they had managed to overthrow the Qing and establish a stable state then they would be seen as possessing the 'Mandate of Heaven'. But if you're going to rebel, lose and take 30 million people with you, fatally weakening the Qing state in the process and setting it up for more colonization by the West and Japan—what was actually accomplished by this enormous cost of human suffering?
It's not religion per se that the state fears most, just any source of authority that can inspire the common people to rebel against it. Communism certainly worked well recently.
The West has had the fortune of recent history from the post-Renaissance era being a time of generally increasing standards of living and political liberation. From the French to the American to the Glorious Revolutions, they are seen as successful struggles against backwards tradition and monarchy.
China on the other hand has both the blessing and curse of remembering 2000+ years of both cycles of prosperity as well as collapse.
Because the communist government demands a monopoly on being able to kill 30+ million people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution#Death_toll