Trump's America Under the New Administration Seems Oddly Familiar to Observers from the East

As Vickie Wang, a rising comedic talent, takes her platform in the Big Apple, she is not only considering what humor to deliver. Additionally, she weighs what subjects to avoid. “I refrain from openly criticizing the government,” she stated. And when she ventures there, she ensures it isn't recorded for online platforms. “I would never publicly share content where I directly criticize the government … I think it's a habit acquired back home.”

The comedian, 39, resided in Shanghai for almost a decade, departing in 2022. By 2025, she moved to the US. Upon arrival, she dove into a frenzy of “revenge bingeing on freedom,” attending talks, demonstrations, and delving into New York’s library system.

But over the past year after the president was elected for the second time, there's been a “palpable change” in the environment, she notes. “In China, I knew where the line was, while in the US I'm standing on unstable ground.”

Her concerns mirror an emerging climate in America which numerous individuals from China, or those with experience in the country, perceive as eerily similar. Opponents face exclusion. The leader expects total allegiance. Journalists are targeted. Establishments are attacked.

Trump has not been shy about his admiration for Xi Jinping, the nation's strongman leader. He has described him as a “great guy”. As they agreed a temporary truce in economic tensions on Thursday, the bonhomie between the two leaders of countries with diametrically opposed political systems became clear. And after decades of optimism in America that improved relations with the East could assist the growing nation become more open, under Trump 2.0, it seems that America is shifting in China's path, rather than vice versa.

“The United States is experiencing a period of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, an academic at a top Chinese university. “The top leader, Trump, is attempting to mobilise the masses to sideline or undermine the elite … reminiscent of what happened in the country half a century ago.”

Ever since the administration initiated what's termed a government streamlining body, or Doge, on federal institutions early on of his term, many in China have viewed US politics through the lens of China's historical period. Be it the rallying of the youth to execute presidential directives, or cleansing organizations of perceived enemies, the president as viewed from China has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to the US, though without the same levels of violence.

However since the upheaval of the initial period under Trump has calmed, a new, distinct type of political atmosphere has emerged in the country, which variously seems recognizable to many Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Is Less Bright’

The most profound similarity between the US today and China is the suppression on free speech.

A former police officer, now a CCP critic, ended up in a controversy recently, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in his homeland. He has lived in the US for several years, after escaping China because of pressure from officials.

In September, after the death of a public figure, Deng tweeted that Kirk was a “scumbag”. Similar to others across the US – who were fired as a result of making negative comments regarding him – Deng faced a huge backlash. Relatives had personal info leaked and he was accused of espionage seeking to create division.

“This incident was a real shock. I hadn't thought that something like this could happen in America – something that should only happen in a repressive state,” he commented.

Deng’s pile on originated from fellow social media users, rather than the state, but such of social surveillance also has parallels with China.

“In terms of targeting dissenters and monitoring public speech on topics that are sensitive … It's appearing in the US,” noted an academic, a scholar at a US university. “This is observed in the East today as well,” she said, stating that there were now fears in the US of students reporting on teachers, a type of monitoring that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

Zhang, the legal expert, said that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself once turned to America for ideals, since public debate on internal affairs in China is dangerous. However, “America is no longer a ideal for Chinese liberals. America’s image has declined generally.”

“We once viewed the US as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, this lighthouse seems to have become less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, who are often, at least in private, skeptical about the nation's governance, now perceive it less objectionable than America’s, Zhang said. “It's somewhat painful to accept this … but after the pandemic, the government seems to be doing the right thing in environmental protection and developing electric cars and investing in hi-tech,” he noted, while “the West, exemplified by the United States, appear in decline.”

The government's purchase of stakes in American firms has also drawn comparisons with the East, where the line between state and business is frequently unclear.

On Monday, the US government stated it would become an investor in a startup focused on rare earth processing, following similar stakes in additional firms deemed essential for national security. The deals have made some investors nervous that America is embarking on a new era of government meddling in private industry.

Yet, there remain significant distinctions between the US under Trump and China. In October, several news organisations including the Guardian declined to agree to a defense department rule that demanded reporting solely on approved information. US courts have halted or overturned many of Trump’s actions, an action that would be impossible in China’s party-dominated legal system.

Isaac Stone Fish, who established of Strategy Risks, a China-focused advisory firm, commented: “America could descend into its gravest challenge of its history, far more severe than currently, and it would remain more free, open, and more liberal than China under Xi.”

The professor notes that while many intellectuals in the country were surprised to see US universities yield to official requests concerning diversity and inclusion practices and open discourse on university grounds, in the East, leading institutions are all state-owned by default. University leaders, who are appointed by the government, “cannot refuse. They dare not defy orders.”

Still, Americans are beginning to take precautions previously associated with more authoritarian countries. One professor at a US university once vocal on US-China issues refused to speak for this piece. He stated: “The truth is, I fear of the censorship here: I actually feel less afraid criticizing China's leader these days than say anything bad