It's not fair to say that the US is close to China in this regard. There are no private or encrypted chat apps available in China. Everybody uses WeChat, which is actively surveilled. It's not uncommon for "private" group chats to be shut down if they talk about sensitive topics. You need a license to run a website inside China. If HN ran inside China, our accounts would be linked to our identities, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Consider also the bigger picture. There is no rule of law in China. That guy who is being forced to install spyware on his phone is probably in Xinjiang, where hundreds of thousands (and maybe over a million) people have been detained without charge and on no legal basis. Conviction rates are extremely high because trials aren't fair. Lawyers and activists disappear. Torture and forced confessions are common.