You're presenting a false dichotomy. There are CCTV cameras everywhere in Japan too (most of them are not operated by the government, but the government asks for footage when necessary), which is one of the safest countries in the world and the Japanese government is not authoritarian.

China, on the other hand, is authoritarian government using safety as an excuse for government-based mass surveillance, most famously used for oppression of dissidents. Somehow, some people are buying this.