This article examines propaganda-based threats of repression used by autocratic regimes, specifically China.

Context: The study utilizes data from the Chinese Workers' Daily newspaper covering domestic issues between 2009 and 2016.

Findings: It reveals that these threats are strategically employed around anniversaries related to ethnic separatist movements in Tibet and Xinjiang. Bullet point key findings:

• Decrease protest rates substantively (by a meaningful margin)
• Used sparingly, preserving their effectiveness

Method: Instrumental variables approach used.

Preserving all nuances from the original abstract.