jonattonyeah I have American relatives and have spent time in both countries, yet people’s eyes pop out of their head when I tell them in some ways China is more free than the US.
Obviously, getting caught dealing drugs is a big problem to the dealer: he will be shot. Possession, you will get banged up or deported.
Drinking on the other hand is way, way nicer than in the States. If you’re with a family who has a 14 year old kid and they decide he can have a beer with dinner, he can have a beer with dinner. Absolutely nobody gives a fuck. I can buy a shitty lager like a Heineken in any coffee shop and even some branches of KFC. And, most importantly, if you and a bunch of friends are still in a bar and want to carry on drinking, and the owner wants to carry on serving, you can sit there till 7am and carry on regardless (so long as you don’t disturb the neighbours). And also: if you’re having a gathering and it’s 3am, a 7-eleven might not be open but the local 24:7 noodle shop will sell you 24 straight from the fridge to take up to your apartment. It’s extremely civilised compared to the weird puritanical US.