Several years ago, a University of Michigan PhD student who had spent years living and researching in China, attended a U.S.-based event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. But she was worried about speaking at the event. She knew that if she criticized Chinese soldiers gunning down unarmed protesters, students could report her to the Chinese authorities, which could jeopardize her research, her access to interview subjects, and even her entire academic career. Even though it bothered her to do so, she kept quiet.  A few years later, the student, who asked to remain anonymous, found herself keeping quiet again, on what seemed like a much more trivial matter. In September 2017, she opened Facebook and learned that Chinese customs agents had banned the import of certain soft European cheeses, like Brie and Gorgonzola. The customs agents blamed “too much bacteria,” but because Chinese companies could legally make the same cheese, European trade