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Unless you're a spy, or someone valuable enough to your government that China could get concessions from treating you like one, there's very little risk posed by the Chinese government. There are currently three Americans that America itself considers wrongfully imprisoned in China.
Looks like about 2.5 million Americans visit China each year.
It's a similar risk for Chinese nationals visiting the West. If you're the Huawei heiress then maybe you should be careful. If you're a nobody then it's very unlikely the state will visit trumped up charges upon you.
Actually if you're a professor the risk looks less trivial, there are a lot of cases of professors being prosecuted and found not guilty.
Specifically, I have published some academic criticism of the Chinese government under my real name, and I had some past associations with a Chinese national who disappeared (probably he disappeared on purpose, to avoid being disappeared by others, but I don't actually know for sure) a few years back.
This is all sufficiently small time that I would give myself better than 90% odds of being fine if I were to ever visit China... but the same could probably be said of Mexico. Even a 100% safe and successful tourist jaunt to either destination would involve a lot more nervous checking over my shoulder than could possibly be worth the trip.
Mexico is actually pretty safe if you stay on the beaten path- Americans who get murdered or kidnapped mostly leave the tourist track without paying protection money.
Your guided tour of Mexico City pyramids or all inclusive resort trip are pretty safe.
I was quite surprised recently to learn that Acapulco, which has always connoted "resort getaway for rich Americans", has become a cartel-controlled hellhole.
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