Aren't you worried the silencing of dissent will hide a very dysfunctional world from you? Aren't you worried it has happened already and your opinion has already been influenced?
I’m sure there are darker side of China that the government would love to hide and there are many parts of the society that’s disfunctional. That’s no secret in China, most people are aware about that. I’m sure my opinions are influenced by all the stuff I’ve read and seen, and I try to keep an open eye and have been traveling around the world. But no one has “god’s view”, most western media are also writing articles that supports their existing views. “Fake news” is no longer a new concept to the west and it indeed can distort people’s beliefs. Even when media report the truth, selecting what to report and choosing the tone can also influence people’s views to a great extent. When it comes to topics about China, the western media (and Chinese media as well, in a different way) can be quite extreme. I’m sure your opinions are also being influenced, it’s too hard not to be