They've already lost that battle...big time.
Gimme another reason.
I don't need to give you another reason, that is the reason. They can't retreat behind Communism to any more, so they are retreating behind nationalism.
Now that can no longer sell to their democracy is incompatible with communism, they will say that democracy is incompatible with Confuscianism, incompatible with the Chinese tradition. So that to advocate against their rule is no loner "counter-revelolutionary", but a betrayal of one's heritage and one's culture.
All you need to know about the current regime in China is this, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, they do, is aimed at maintaining their power to control China. They have no goals other than that one.