I think what few Canadians understand is the importance that Chinese people (not just the government) give to security and stability. China has seen a century of terrible wars, famine, brutality and upheaval, things that people living on the North American continent would have absolutely no experience of. A country comprising 1.4 billion people would be impossible to govern if the government couldn't guarantee this for the majority (however unjust we might think it is for certain individuals). We ought to give the Chinese government credit instead, for bringing >400 million out of poverty and providing safe, secure communities where the vast majority of people can live a happy life with their children and grandchildren. China, despite its vast population is a far, far safer place to live than anywhere in the Americas.