The meltdown means reality has returned to China and they are just another country again. This event, among others, will have an enormous downstream effect on the morale of Chinese people, their finances, and the future of their government. Combined with the US's more active response to China's territorial expansion, their leaders are scared. Scared of being kicked out by the next generation of politicobeaurocrats.
I agree, this does feel like a sea change. Not to mention that it's coinciding with the end of the CCP being a more or less reasonable ruling body (video game bans, corruption purges, increased propaganda, etc.)
The parent was talking about the increase in authoritarianism on the part of the CCP (which would presumably also affect the Han population) -- at least that's how I understood the comment.
Are you trying to say that the CCP is _not_ becoming _more_ authoritarian?
