WI: Chinese democracy

IOTL that the eastern block fell and the PRC soldiered on is considered quite a surprising turn of events. Looking from 1989 it seemed that China was by far the most likely place to undergo a democratic (or at least anti-regime) revolution.

So...how could we get the 'Tiananmen Square' protests to lead to a change in China similar to those that we know from the USSR and Eastern Europe?
And what woul be the effects of this?
Things could potentially be...quite interesting. Especially considering the other communist regimes neighbouring China. Korea in particular would be a big question, especially come the famines.
 
You'd need the army to be more supportive of the protesters. If the army refuses to move in and remove the protesters, the government is finished.
 
I doubt North Korea survives. The only reason it still exists is China wants it as a buffer, and they don't feel like dealing with millions of refugees. The remaining communist states in Asia would most likely disintegrate after China.
 
I doubt North Korea survives. The only reason it still exists is China wants it as a buffer, and they don't feel like dealing with millions of refugees. The remaining communist states in Asia would most likely disintegrate after China.

Even the Chinese are getting fed up with Pyongyang now. Really, the propaganda loss of having a US-backed capitalist nation on the border is far less grave than having such a failed and unstable Stalinist regime in the region. Beijing isn't going to support the destruction of North Korea any time after Xiaoping takes power, but nor will she kick up much of a fuss.

Regarding China herself turning democratic, you would need for someone like Zhao Ziyang to be in a position of taking the leadership before Deng dies. Butterfly away the pro-democracy protests and Zhao and his even more reformist faction could democratise the PRC enough from within to ensure the development of a less authoritarian China by the end of the decade.
 
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