It's an old mono-culture that has been held together by a central monarchy; Emperor or Party Chairman. Mao simply changed the old central government for his version of a central government.
How much different is there between an Emperors and a Party Chairman? Did either ever permit dissent?
We can debate the age but it's an old nation and they have no cultural history of democracy.
If communism fails I doubt it will be replace with a western-style democracy.
East is east. West is west.
Bkmk