I doubt the implications are a primary motivator considering the US has been increasingly distancing itself from China anyway. Considering the makeup of academics it seems a lot more likely that you simply don't get to support republican affiliated talking points without having enough clout to survive a credibility attack.

Even if your evidence and procedures are correct you'll still be accused of something vague and indefensible like racism because your observations are somehow at fault for contributing to racist attitudes. As long as Social Justice, and by extension so social politics, focuses on belligerantly attacking any potential for dissent the situation is only going to gravitate more towards voluntary censorship.