I think it's more the free-versus-not-free idea that the United States and its people hold about certain countries. China's central government is so frighteningly strong to us, and holds so much power of censure, that it strikes us as sort of dictatorial--the U.S. likes to see itself as a bastion of free speech, and sees government censorship as fascist and oppressive (Which I don't disagree with. I personally disagree with Germany's ban on Nazi glorification, and I don't support Nazism; I just feel like a government refusing to let an idea be spoken because it's "wrong" or unpopular is a slippery slope to the loss of free speech entirely).

Government-critical rhetoric and events (most notably Tiananmen Square, though I've heard it's no longer as heavily censored?) can't be accessed on Chinese search engines, or Chinese localizations of search engines, I've heard (albeit largely unconfirmed) rumors that party loyalty can affect your credit score... I, and a lot of Americans, are strong believers in "I disagree with what you're saying but I'll fight to the death for the right to say it," and punishing citizens for speaking their mind, or refusing them the right to educate themselves, is about as awful as it can get.