He most likely isn't aware of the big knife attacks in China because of censorship. But once the party collapses or the censorship breaks down (whichever comes first), Chinese citizens will find lots of bad information out in the open. Things that will make them angry, like the billions of dollars communist party bosses have escaped with to other countries. Or that their water supply is grossly contaminated.
Of course this happens everywhere, but it's a pretty big deal when it does happen.
I think China is kind of odd - because you don't immediately get the sense that the government is watching everyone. I mean - there are far fewer people in prison. But the 'eye' is there and if you do specific things ... well ... the silent alarm is tripped.
It is just frustrating that there are so many regressions. The opening up of the mid-late 80s was of course crushed after 6/4, but then there was the opening up that happened before the Olympics that was then throttled back really quickly (and indeed, internet censorship became much more harsh than it ever was). Annoying to say the least.
Not so much 'surveillance' but watchfulness anyhow.
Surprisingly this may not be the case.
Sitting next to a young Chinese national at the train station who goes to school in the USA ... he told me he likes that the 'state controls the press' for the following reason: 'because some crazy person could just, you know, get a knife and start killing people'.
It was all rather odd: that it's all about public safety, and avoiding 'crazy people with knives' - but oddly - he was living mostly in the USA. I asked him 'do you feel unsafe right now, in the US, that someone could come at you with a knife'? He replied that he did not. But the irony was lost on him.
There are a lot of people who support the 'one state / one party' thing even if they might disagree with some of the tactics here and there, they just see it in a different way.
In much the same way Russians on some level are very aware of Putin's curruption and yet look past it.