If we've learned anything from Blizzard it is that it is impossible to be an international company and not participate in politics. What would GitLab do if the Chinese government ordered them to take down a repository because it's being used by Hong Kong protestors? If they take it down they are saying that China should get to control Hong Kong. If they leave it up they are saying that Hong Kong should be free of Chinese rule. Either way it is a political statement. Employees are going to have to talk about this and make decisions that reflect their values.
No, if the government orders you to do something you do it. Disobeying a legal order would be a political statement. ('civil' disobedience)
The GitLab policy was meant to stop ideologically motivated employees from sacrificing the reputation and interests of the company for their own personal political objectives. Of course, enough other compainies have already been taken over by allied ideologues that they pressured GitLab into allowing politically motivated behavior.
Obeying a government order is also a political statement that you support that government. GitLab is an international company, they don't owe an allegiance to one specific country. One country might tell them to do something and another one might tell them to do the opposite. They're going to have to pick and choose sides sometimes.
