Chinese President Xi Jinping’s unprecedented third term is raising eyebrows around the world. Xi broke with the traditional two-term limit to cement his power as the leader of the world’s most populous country.

There are growing concerns among the Asian-American community in New York over what this may mean for loved ones like family or friends back in China.

Christine Wang grew up drinking oolong tea.

“Tea after every meal, tea in the morning, tea before bedtime,” Wang said. “This kind of tea I can keep on brewing it throughout the day, so it gets lighter but it still carries that aroma, and also that connections with my family and with my motherland.”

Wang is Taiwanese-American and has lived in China for a number of years. The last time she was in China was four years ago. She still has close friends in Shanghai.

These days, she says she’s worried after Xi secured a third term as leader of the Communist Party.

“That leads to everybody thinking that Xi Jinping is turning himself into an emperor, because back in dynasty days, there were no term limits,” Wang said. “When you have a leader who has so much power to change the law or constitution of the Chinese Communist Party, the effect of this leader will go on for a long time, and it could go any way.”

She’s in regular touch with her friends through social media.

“I use WeChat to keep in touch with my friends in China, and to check in with them on a regular basis,” she said. “And the posts that I see can be of their pets, their kids, their plants, shows that they see; anything but politics.”

Wang fears their freedoms will only narrow as time goes on under Xi.

“There’s no freedom of speech. And if any posts that the Chinese Communist Party deems too provocative, can be as small as drinking water quality, they might get censored,” she said.

China is a key player on the international stage as the world’s second-biggest economy and a primary trading partner of the U.S. According to a recent global survey by CGTN, Chinese state media, more than 94% of people across 20 countries support China’s Global Development Initiative, which the government says promotes values like “peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom” for everyone.

“I am able to choose what I would like the future to look like for myself and my family,” Wang said. “If I were still living in China, I would not have this opportunity to make any changes that I want to see.”

With smooth strokes, Wang expresses herself through traditional Chinese calligraphy writing words like “light,” “bright,” “going far,” and “great.”

“I’m sending these words to my friends in China, wishing them a brighter and bigger future,” she said.

Wang says she hopes the situation in China improves and the country takes a step, even a small one, toward democracy. Meanwhile, the formal announcement of Xi’s third term as China’s president is expected to take place during the government’s annual legislative sessions in March 2023.