They wouldn't be governable under a western style democracy.

Because they are trying to govern an empire of sorts, which before that was warring states. A muslim from Xinjiang is in no way related to your average han chinese, different religion, different diet, different language. If there was a "core china" of just the south and east,much reduced in size, it could be governed in a way Taiwan is governed. That would mean relinquishing certain parts of what is China now....which the CPC will never allow to happen.

Chinese are governable under a democracy (albeit with those confucian characteristics of obeying parents and teachers!), just look at Taiwan across the straits for proof. The only other way is like Singapore, absolute rule under a autocratic leader who espouses confucian values with no democracy at all, and personally that is the way I see China going.