If they have access to an enormous volume of potential blackmail or datamining, you think they won't use that against us for political gains? They could blackmail a programmer to insert a subtle vulnerability into a piece of code by threatening to expose his extramarital affair, or threatening to tell his employer/family/friends what kind of porn he watches. Or they could easily datamine and target those with monetary issues to see who is vulnerable to a bribe. Or they could threaten to frame you for child porn using their backdoor access.

This is from a government that isn't afraid to 'disappear' political dissidents, send people to "re-education" camps, harvest organs from their own people. You think they're going to be friendlier to American citizens?

Not to lambast china while excusing the US Government that requires that type of spying by law.

Do you believe that the US Government is above " blackmail or data mining" or "won't use that against us for political gains", both of which has been proven to be true

Everyone is Soo fucking afraid of foreign influence on our politics they ignore the domestic influence of the same nature.

Personally I believe the NSA and CIA to be more dangerous to our liberties than China or Russia.

As Lincoln said many many moons ago, If we lose our freedoms it will because we destroyed ourselves

As far as the tech companies / Hollywood censoring because of china, for the product in china sure but they censor their products here because they want to, china is just a convenient excuse that naive people believe. It is a way to shit shift the blame "no no we did not want to, big bad china made us" bullshit

Yes, because American citizens are none of their business. Law enforcement and prosecution on the other hand is very interested.

Now let's imagine I am an American citizen/businessman competing with a Chinese businessman. I have a better product, better networks. Let's also imagine the scenario where the Chinese govt has more power and dominance than anybody else in the world. Do you still think an American citizen is none of their business?

How about if an American citizen happens to write an article criticizing Chinese govt? What would happen in the above scenario?

China, and the US for that matter, will generally do what they think they can get away with to further their interests. Regardless of a bunch of imaginary lines drawn on a map.

So long as those steps are designated as a "free speech zone".

People always seem to forget, all government actions and regulations no matter how small are acts of violence. They are not voluntary and are backed by the threat of legal violence to anyone that dare resist.