The America During the New Administration Feels Strangely Familiar to Observers from China

As the standup comedian, an emerging performer, steps onto the stage in the Big Apple, she's not just considering which jokes to tell. She also weighs what subjects to steer clear of. “I don't engage in openly criticizing the government,” she stated. Or if she does, she makes certain it's not captured for online platforms. “I would never publicly share content where I openly disparage the government … I think it's a habit from China.”

The comedian, thirty-nine, lived in Shanghai for nearly ten years, leaving in that year. In 2025, she moved to the US. When she got there, she dove into an intense period of “overindulging on freedom,” going to talks, protests, and delving into the city's public library.

However in the year since Donald Trump returned to office for the second time, there has been a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, she says. “Back home, I knew the boundaries, while in the US I'm standing on shifting sands.”

Wang’s fears reflect a new political reality in the US which many Chinese, or those with experience in the country, find disturbingly familiar. Opponents are ostracised. The leader expects absolute loyalty. Journalists are targeted. Institutions come under fire.

The president has openly expressed regarding his respect for China's leader, China’s authoritarian figure. He has described Xi as a “great guy”. As they agreed a brief ceasefire in the trade war recently, the bonhomie between both figures of countries with diametrically opposed political systems was evident. Following years of hope in the US that improved relations with the East could assist the growing nation become more open, under Trump 2.0, it appears as if America is shifting in the Chinese direction, instead of vice versa.

“The United States is experiencing an era of societal upheaval,” said Zhang Qianfan, a professor at Peking University. “The president, Trump, is attempting to rally the grassroots to sideline or undermine the elite … similar to what happened in the country decades past.”

Ever since the administration unleashed what's termed a government streamlining body, or Doge, on federal institutions at the start of his term, many in China have viewed US politics through the lens of China's historical period. Whether it is the mobilisation of the youth to execute the leader’s will, or cleansing organizations of perceived enemies, Trump as viewed from China has brought Mao-style chaos to America, though without equivalent degrees of force.

However after the turmoil of the early months under Trump has calmed, a new, distinct type of climate has settled in the country, which variously seems recognizable to many Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Has Become Dimmer’

The most profound parallel between the US today and the East is the suppression on free speech.

Deng Haiyan, now a Chinese Communist party dissenter, ended up in the eye of a storm this year, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in his homeland. He resided in America since 2019, after escaping China because of harassment from officials.

Last fall, following the passing of Charlie Kirk, he posted that the individual was a “scumbag”. Similar to others across the US – many of whom were fired for making negative comments regarding him – he encountered a huge backlash. Relatives had personal info leaked and he faced allegations of being a Chinese spy attempting to create division.

“That event was a real shock. I never imagined such a thing would occur in America – something that typically happens in a repressive state,” he commented.

His backlash originated from online peers, instead of the state, but that kind of public monitoring also has parallels with the East.

“Regarding going after those who disagree and monitoring open discourse on topics that are sensitive … That’s starting to emerge in the US,” noted an academic, a scholar at a US university. “That’s something that you see in the East now as well,” she said, adding that there were now fears in the US of students reporting on educators, a type of monitoring that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

The professor, the legal expert, explained that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself once turned to America for political inspiration, since public debate on domestic politics in the country is dangerous. However, “America is no longer a god for progressive Chinese. The US's reputation has worsened across the board.”

“We used to see the US as the beacon of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, this lighthouse appears less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, typically, behind closed doors, critical of the nation's governance, now perceive it more acceptable than America’s, he stated. “It's somewhat painful to accept this … but post-COVID, the government appears to be pursuing correct policies in improving the environment and developing electric cars and tech investment,” Zhang said, while “the West, exemplified by America, appear declining.”

The Trump administration’s acquisition of shares in American firms has also drawn parallels with the East, where the distinction between government and private industry is frequently unclear.

On Monday, authorities stated it would become a shareholder in a startup focused on mineral refinement, following similar stakes in additional firms deemed vital to national security. The deals have made certain stakeholders concerned that America is embarking on a new era of government meddling in private industry.

There are still significant distinctions between Trump’s America and China. Last month, several news organisations including the Guardian refused to sign to a defense department rule that required they only report on approved news. US courts have blocked or overturned many of Trump’s actions, an action that would be impossible in the nation's party-dominated judiciary.

An analyst, who established of a consulting firm, specializing in China, commented: “America might face its gravest challenge of its history, far more severe than currently, and it will still be freer, more open, and more liberal than China under Xi.”

The professor notes that although many intellectuals in China were shocked to see American colleges capitulate to official requests regarding DEI policies and open discourse on university grounds, in China, the top universities are all state-owned inherently. Administrators, which are appointed by the state, “have no liberty refuse. They can’t afford to be disobedient.”

Nevertheless, people in the US are beginning to adopt measures previously confined to more authoritarian countries. An academic at a US university who was previously outspoken on US-China issues refused to speak for this article. He said: “Honestly, I fear of suppression in the US: I actually feel more comfortable criticizing China's leader now than say anything bad