Why Do Chinese People Like Their Government?
supchina.com
supchina.com
Criticizing the authority is not easy anywhere, and it's only being made possible with freedom of speech. The west has learned to control the public opinion to a degree, and adapt, but it's a difficult exercise, which explains why freedom of speech does not happen elsewhere because it involves changing a lot of things in how government works.
When freedom of speech is not part of a country, it's much easier to make its citizens like the government. People like authority, it's too much of an effort to be curious, ask questions, think about alternatives, organize dissent, talks, etc.
Although, granted, that did happen as a result of the West "changing a lot of things." But the concept is hardly alien to Asia (for some values of "Asia".)
I'm not saying Asians have no notion of freedom of speech.
That's not completely true at present. Westerners have an interest in how Chinese government treats its people.
1. As the border disputes between China and India, the claiming of the South China Sea, and overseas investments as part of the Belt-and-Road initiatives show, the Chinese government may have an expansionist, imperialist and/or colonising ambition. This means that it is not only current Chinese citizens but also potential Chinese subjects that need to be wary of Chinese government.
2. Many neighbors of China are allies of the West; SK, Japan, India. Many have an economic interest that the South-China Sea is politically neutral.
3. Because Chinese expansionism and imperialism is a possibility, it becomes of concern how the Chinese government how Chinese government treats its minorities and frontier populations, and it isn't good at all. The people of Tibet, Xinjiang, HK, Taiwan all acutely face threat to their personal freedoms from CCP rule.
As a corollary, you may contrast this to US imperialism. Because of its superpower position/ambitions, its government is similarly of global interest. Contrast the reception; US citizens actively and openly criticize the US government's abuses of personal freedoms and unjustified attempts at imperialism.