On Threads and other sites, liberal-minded Chinese accounts were mocking the proceedings and offering a rare window into opinions on Xi Jinping and his leadership style.

For decades, many Chinese viewed the United States with a mix of admiration, envy and resentment. President Trump’s volatile second term shattered that image.

Having gotten into trouble for making jokes critical of the Chinese government, the standup comic Chizi now lives in self-imposed exile. He’s finding that freedom imposes its own constraints.