>though my coworker commented a few minutes ago about how she has asked her parents questions about politically-related issues or events in private and they still are evasive about answering.

Some people are more skirmish than others. In every country, there are people who won't discuss politics, for fear of "getting in trouble", even more so in a place like China.

But that doesn't mean the average citizen wont discuss them with friends/family/etc.

Agreed, which is why I attempted to make the original statement grey and not black/ white. Skittishness around discussing items is a form of self-censorship.

You might consider this akin to parents being uncomfortable discussing certain topics with their children - much like many parents feel uncomfortable discussing topics about sex and sexual practices here in North America. It's not necessarily that it's forbidden, it's just that many people have been made to feel awkward and uncomfortable discussing sex. I imagine the same mechanism of guilt is at play all over the world for various topics.

Or maybe they just remember the Cultural Revolution where children were encouraged to inform on their parents.

Or just an effort to protect their children.