I came here to say this. If you want to predict how the CCP will behave, the first step is to get a good understanding of Confucianism then work up from there.
Ironically, during Cultural Revolution, Mao wants to get rid of CCP and Confucius altogether. The extremists pushed for populism and direct democracy.
Interesting point and I don't know how they connect, is there any text that explains it?
Text that I know of no, but if you want a handbook to build the perfect orderly anthill society, Confucius is a good place to start.
Dictatorship. They sense--rightly or wrongly--that they can get away with more repression so they try it.
Covid has been, like 9/11 to us, a great way to introduce police state measure in a lot of countries.