And that's not a small difference, it's the difference between a liberal democracy (with its many mistakes and flaws) and an authoritarian dictatorship. The both-sides fallacy should be avoided here and elsewhere.
These are not in the same ethical ballpark, and one doesn't have to be a US nationalist to recognize this.
If China was so great the Children of the US rich would go there to study. Instead they either stay in the US, or go to Europe/the Anglosphere if they want to be more cosmopolitan.
The reverse however is very true.