Ordinary Chinese do care about free speech, but there is a lot at stake. In the past there have been political cleansing campaigns where police drag you away and put you in hidden jails, called "black jails", where no one, including your family and friends, knows you are there. There is a lot more at stake when unknown police can detain you this way. Would you take the chance?

So you post your opinion, get on the radar of the CCP. The next time you might be detained instead of having your writing deleted. After this you might disappear for a couple of weeks or years, tried in a secret court, found guilty and sent away to some cold place for hard labour. Would you so easily speak up?

There is the North American way to voice dissent and there are other ways in other countries. I try not to judge too harshly until I walk in the cotton shoes of the Chinese. I did, and did not like what I saw.