[jyl]

Just don't try, in China, to
- Stop the local government from confiscating and bulldozing your house
- Compel a government official to enforce or obey a law or regulation that he doesn't want to
- Get an environmental, safety, or consumer protection law or standard enforced
- Defend yourself against a politically motivated criminal charge, legitimate or not
- Publicly organize opposition to a government position, whether over the internet or on the streets
- Compete against a better connected person for a valuable permit, government contract, license
- Invent anything and hope to maintain your rights to it
- Belong to certain religions or groups
- Etc etc

In the US, you have so many individual freedoms and rights, you can't even appreciate them. Want to organize a big anti-Obama demonstration? Go ahead. Is it freer in China? Have your Chinese friends go out on the streets carrying anti-Xi signs.

Sure, there is a lot of regulation in the U.S. Not being allowed to smoke in a restaurant, or hire a prostitute whenever you want, is pretty minor stuff, as far as encroachments on your liberty go.