Trump's United States During the New Administration Seems Oddly Recognizable to Observers from China

As the standup comedian, a rising comedic talent, steps onto her platform in the Big Apple, she is not only considering which jokes to tell. Additionally, she weighs what subjects to steer clear of. “I don't engage in directly criticizing the administration,” she stated. Or if she does, she makes certain it's not captured for online platforms. “I'd never publicly share material where I openly disparage the government … I think this is a habit from China.”

The comedian, thirty-nine, resided in the Chinese metropolis for nearly a decade, departing in 2022. In 2025, she relocated to the US. Upon arrival, she dove into a frenzy of “overindulging on democracy,” attending lectures, protests, and exploring New York’s library system.

However in the year after Donald Trump returned to office again, there's been a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, she notes. “In China, I understood where the line was, whereas here I'm standing on shifting sands.”

Her concerns reflect an emerging political reality in the US which many Chinese, or those who have lived in the country, perceive as disturbingly familiar. Enemies face exclusion. The president demands total allegiance. Reporters face scrutiny. Establishments come under fire.

Trump has not been shy regarding his respect for China's leader, the nation's strongman leader. He has described him as a “great guy”. When they reached a temporary truce in economic tensions recently, the camaraderie between the two leaders of nations with vastly different political systems became clear. And after decades of optimism in America that improved relations with China may help the rising power become more open, in the current administration, it seems as if the US is shifting in China's path, rather than the other way around.

“The United States is experiencing an era of societal upheaval,” stated Zhang Qianfan, an academic at Peking University. “The top leader, Trump, is trying to rally the masses in order to sideline or weaken established figures … reminiscent of events in the country decades past.”

Ever since Trump initiated the so-called 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 the Cultural Revolution. Whether it is the rallying of the youth to carry out the leader’s will, or cleansing organizations of those deemed opposition, Trump from a Chinese viewpoint has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to the US, though without equivalent degrees of force.

But since the turmoil of the early months under Trump has calmed, an unfamiliar, different kind of political atmosphere has settled in the country, which variously seems familiar to many Chinese people.

‘The Beacon Has Become Dimmer’

The most profound parallel between Trump’s America and China is the crackdown on open expression.

Deng Haiyan, turned Chinese Communist party critic, ended up in the eye of a storm recently, similar to what he once faced in his homeland. Deng resided in the US since 2019, after escaping the country because of harassment from officials.

In September, following the passing of a public figure, he posted that Kirk was “despicable”. Like people nationwide – many of whom were fired as a result of expressing criticism regarding him – Deng faced significant backlash. Relatives was doxed and he was accused 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 America – something that typically happens in an authoritarian country,” Deng said.

Deng’s pile on originated from online peers, rather than the state, but that kind of public monitoring bears similarities with the East.

“Regarding going after those who disagree and starting to surveil public speech about issues deemed controversial … It's appearing in the US,” noted Maria Repnikova, a scholar at Georgia State University. “That’s something that you see in China now as too,” she added, stating that there were now fears in the US of students reporting on teachers, a form of monitoring that has been encouraged by the CCP.

Zhang, the legal expert, explained that liberal Chinese intellectuals such as him once turned to the US for ideals, since public debate on domestic politics in China is risky. However, “The US is no longer a ideal for progressive Chinese. America’s image has worsened generally.”

“We used to see America as the beacon of constitutional democracy, but after Trump took power, that guide appears less luminous”.

Progressive Chinese, who are often, behind closed doors, critical of the nation's governance, now perceive it more acceptable than America’s, he stated. “It’s sort of painful to accept this reality … but after the pandemic, authorities seems to be doing the right thing in environmental protection and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, exemplified by America, seems to be declining.”

The government's purchase of stakes in American firms has prompted comparisons with China, where the line between government and private industry is frequently unclear.

On Monday, authorities announced it would become an investor in a startup focused on mineral refinement, after taking similar stakes in other companies it considers essential for national security. These moves have made certain stakeholders nervous that America is embarking on a fresh phase of state intervention in the private sector.

There are still significant distinctions between Trump’s America and China. Last month, several news organisations including the Guardian declined to agree to a defense department rule that demanded they only report on approved news. US courts have halted or reversed many of Trump’s actions, an action that is unthinkable 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, orders of magnitudes worse than currently, and it will still be freer, more open, and more liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang observes that although numerous scholars in China were shocked to see American colleges yield to government demands regarding DEI policies and open discourse on university grounds, in the East, leading institutions are all state-owned by default. University leaders, which are selected by the government, “cannot of saying no. They dare not defy orders.”

Still, people in the US are starting to take precautions that were once confined to more authoritarian countries. An academic at an American college once outspoken on US-China issues refused to speak for this piece. He said: “Honestly, I am scared of suppression in the US: I actually feel more comfortable to criticise Xi now than say anything bad