The America Under the New Administration Seems Strangely Recognizable to Those Watching from the East

As the standup comedian, a rising comedic talent, takes the stage in the Big Apple, she is not just considering which jokes to deliver. Additionally, she carefully considers what subjects to avoid. “I refrain from openly criticizing the government,” she explained. And when she ventures there, she ensures it's not captured for social media. “I'd never publicly share content where I openly disparage authorities … I think it's a habit from China.”

Wang, 39, lived in the Chinese metropolis for nearly a decade, departing in that year. In 2025, she relocated to the US. Upon arrival, she embarked on an intense period of “revenge bingeing on democracy,” going to lectures, demonstrations, and exploring the city's public library.

However in the year after the president returned to office again, there's been a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, she says. “Back home, I knew the boundaries, whereas in the US I find myself on shifting sands.”

Wang’s concerns mirror an emerging political reality in America which numerous individuals from China, or those with experience in the country, find eerily familiar. Enemies face exclusion. The president expects absolute loyalty. Reporters face scrutiny. Establishments come under fire.

Trump has not been shy regarding his respect for China's leader, China’s authoritarian figure. He's called Xi as “fantastic”. As they agreed a temporary truce in economic tensions on Thursday, the camaraderie between both figures of nations with vastly different governance models became clear. And after decades of hope in the US that closer ties with the East could assist the rising power become more open, in the current administration, it seems as if America is being pulled in the Chinese direction, instead of the other way around.

“The United States is experiencing a period of societal upheaval,” stated Zhang Qianfan, an academic at a top Chinese university. “The top leader, Donald Trump, is attempting to mobilise the masses in order to marginalize or undermine the elite … similar to events in China decades past.”

Since Trump initiated what's termed a government streamlining body, or Doge, on federal institutions early on of his term, numerous Chinese observers see US politics through the lens of China's historical period. Whether it is the rallying of young people to carry out the leader’s will, or cleansing organizations of perceived enemies, the president as viewed from China has brought disorder reminiscent of Mao to America, though absent equivalent degrees of violence.

But after the turmoil of the initial period under Trump subsided, an unfamiliar, distinct type of climate has settled in the country, which variously seems familiar to numerous Chinese people.

‘The Lighthouse Has Become Less Bright’

The deepest similarity between the US today and the East is the suppression on free speech.

A former police officer, now a Chinese Communist party dissenter, found himself in a controversy this year, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in his homeland. He has lived in the US for several years, after escaping the country due to harassment from officials.

Last fall, following the passing of Charlie Kirk, Deng tweeted that Kirk was a “scumbag”. Similar to others nationwide – who lost their jobs as a result of expressing criticism regarding him – he encountered significant backlash. Relatives had personal info leaked and he faced allegations of being a Chinese spy attempting to divide the US.

“This incident was a real shock. I never imagined that something like this could happen in the United States – something that should only happen in a repressive state,” he commented.

His pile on originated from online peers, instead of the state, but such of public monitoring also has parallels with the East.

“In terms of going after dissenters and monitoring public speech on topics that are sensitive … That’s starting to emerge here,” said an academic, an associate professor at a US university. “That’s something that you see in the East today as well,” she added, adding that there were now fears in the US of students reporting on educators, a form of surveillance that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

The professor, the legal expert, explained that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself once turned to the US for ideals, in part because openly discussing internal affairs in China is dangerous. But now, “America is no longer a ideal for progressive Chinese. The US's reputation has worsened generally.”

“We used to see the US as the beacon of democratic governance, but since the new administration, that guide appears less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, who are often, at least in private, critical of China’s political system, now perceive it less objectionable than the US's, he stated. “It's somewhat difficult to acknowledge this reality … but post-COVID, the government seems to be doing the right thing in environmental protection and developing electric cars and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, as represented by America, seems to be declining.”

The government's purchase of shares in American firms has also drawn comparisons with China, where the distinction between government and business is often blurred.

On Monday, the US government announced it would become an investor in a new company specialising in mineral refinement, after taking similar stakes in other companies deemed vital to the country's safety. The deals have made some investors concerned that America is entering a new era of government meddling in private industry.

Yet, there remain major differences between Trump’s America and the East. In October, several news organisations including the Guardian refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that required they only report on approved news. US courts have blocked or reversed numerous presidential measures, something that would be unthinkable in the nation's party-dominated legal system.

An analyst, the founder of a consulting firm, specializing in China, commented: “America could descend into its gravest challenge of all time, far more severe than it is now, and it will still be more free, open, and liberal than the East under its leader.”

The professor observes that while numerous scholars in China were surprised to see US universities yield to government demands concerning DEI policies and open discourse on university grounds, in China, the top universities are publicly controlled by default. Administrators, who are selected by the government, “cannot of saying no. They can’t afford defy orders.”

Nevertheless, Americans are beginning to adopt measures that were once associated with repressive regimes. An academic at a US university once vocal on bilateral matters refused to speak for this piece. He stated: “The truth is, I fear of suppression here: I genuinely feel more comfortable to criticise Xi now than say anything bad