China should have killed Puyi, he didn’t deserve to live. Like I get the Russians killed the Romanovs out of necessity but looking back on it now regicide really was the best decision. And you know, I’m not saying this because I want ALL monarchies to die, like the Hawaiian monarchy gets critical support from me. Like I’m judging Puyi on an individual case, I don’t think he should have died because he was a monarch, I think he should have died because he was directly responsible for collaborating with the Japanese government killing millions of Chinese.
I think keeping Puyi alive was a massive propaganda win for the CPC, which far outweighs whatever justice might have been achieved by executing him. With the Soviets case, when there is literally a monarchist army currently fighting you that would love to rally around any person with the right surname, ending the line makes sense - but China had been a republic for almost forty years by the time the Civil War ended, nobody was clamoring for a restoration especially since the idea of one had been directly associated with the Japanese invasion and occupation, so Puyi and any descendants he made were completely nonthreatening.
There was none. Families of victims generally don't find closure after an execution, but people who go through restorative processes do. Retribution isn't justice, it's just a second murder.