What amount of government repression does it take for the citizens to revolt?
When your bureaucracy does not work anymore and you cant pay the army is when it gets bad.
Mao managed to do it twice, including launching a revolution while actually in the government but sidelined.
Another fun fact, the US army has more recent experience helping put down a Chinese rebellion (boxer rebellion, 1900) than an American one.
The masses will beg for more oppression if you can keep that up.