The America During the New Administration Seems Strangely Recognizable to Observers from the East

When the standup comedian, a rising performer, takes the stage in the Big Apple, she's not just considering what humor to tell. She also carefully considers which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from directly criticizing the administration,” she stated. And when she does, she makes certain it's not captured for social media. “I'd never publish openly material in which I openly disparage the government … I believe it's a learned behavior acquired back home.”

Wang, thirty-nine, resided in the Chinese metropolis for almost a decade, departing in that year. In 2025, she moved to America. When she got there, she embarked on an intense period of “overindulging on democracy,” attending lectures, demonstrations, and delving into New York’s library system.

But in the year after Donald Trump returned to office for the second time, there's been a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, she says. “Back home, I knew where the line was, whereas here I'm standing on shifting sands.”

Wang’s concerns mirror a new political reality in America which numerous individuals from China, or those who have lived in the country, perceive as eerily similar. Opponents are ostracised. The leader expects absolute loyalty. Reporters are targeted. Establishments come under fire.

Trump has not been shy regarding his respect for China's leader, the nation's authoritarian figure. He has described him as “fantastic”. When they reached a temporary truce in economic tensions recently, the camaraderie between the two leaders of nations with vastly different political systems was evident. And after decades of hope in America that improved relations with China may help the rising power become more open, under Trump 2.0, it appears that America is shifting in the Chinese direction, instead of vice versa.

“The United States is experiencing an era of societal upheaval,” said a constitutional law expert, a professor at Peking University. “The president, Donald Trump, is attempting to rally the grassroots in order to sideline or undermine established figures … reminiscent of what happened in the country half a century ago.”

Since the administration unleashed what's termed Department for Government Efficiency, or Doge, on federal institutions at the start in office, many in China see American governance through the lens of China's historical period. Whether it is the rallying of the youth to carry out the leader’s will, or purging institutions of those deemed opposition, Trump as viewed from China has delivered Mao-style chaos to America, though absent equivalent degrees of violence.

But after the turmoil of the early months under Trump subsided, a new, distinct type of climate has emerged in the country, which in different ways also feels recognizable to many Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Is Less Bright’

The deepest parallel between the US today and the East is the suppression on open expression.

Deng Haiyan, turned CCP critic, ended up in a controversy this year, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in his homeland. Deng resided in America since 2019, after escaping China because of pressure from the authorities.

Last fall, following the passing of Charlie Kirk, Deng tweeted that the individual was “despicable”. Similar to others nationwide – who lost their jobs for expressing criticism regarding him – Deng faced significant backlash. Relatives was doxed and he faced allegations of being a Chinese spy seeking to create division.

“This incident surprised me deeply. I hadn't thought such a thing would occur in the United States – what should only happen in an authoritarian country,” Deng said.

Deng’s pile on came from fellow social media users, rather than the government, but that kind of public monitoring bears similarities with China.

“In terms of going after dissenters and monitoring open discourse on topics deemed controversial … That’s starting to emerge in the US,” said Maria Repnikova, an associate professor at Georgia State University. “This is observed in the East now as too,” she said, stating that concerns are rising in the US of pupils informing against educators, a type of surveillance that has been encouraged by the CCP.

Zhang, the legal expert, explained that progressive thinkers like himself once turned to America for ideals, since openly discussing domestic politics in the country is risky. But now, “America is no longer a ideal for progressive Chinese. The US's reputation has declined generally.”

“We once viewed the US as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but after Trump took power, this lighthouse seems to have become less luminous”.

Progressive Chinese, typically, behind closed doors, critical of China’s political system, now perceive it more acceptable than the US's, Zhang said. “It’s sort of difficult to acknowledge this … but post-COVID, authorities appears to be pursuing correct policies 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 parallels with China, where the distinction between state and business is frequently unclear.

On Monday, authorities stated it will take an investor in a startup focused on mineral refinement, after taking similar stakes in additional firms deemed vital to national security. The deals have left some investors concerned that America is embarking on a fresh phase of government meddling in private industry.

Yet, there remain significant distinctions between Trump’s America and China. Last month, multiple media outlets including the Guardian refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that demanded reporting solely on approved information. US courts have blocked or overturned numerous presidential measures, an action that is impossible in the nation's CCP-controlled judiciary.

An analyst, who established of a consulting firm, a China-focused advisory firm, said: “America could descend into the worst crisis of all time, far more severe than it is now, and it will still be more free, open, and more liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang notes that while many intellectuals in China were shocked to see American colleges capitulate to government demands concerning DEI policies and free speech on campus, in the East, leading institutions are all state-owned by default. Administrators, which are selected by the state, “have no liberty of saying no. They can’t afford defy orders.”

Nevertheless, Americans are starting to adopt measures previously associated with repressive regimes. An academic at a US university who was previously vocal on US-China issues refused to be interviewed for this piece. He said: “Honestly, I fear of the censorship here: I genuinely feel less afraid criticizing China's leader now than say anything bad