Actually there's been a distinct lack of very necessary China criticism for a few too many years. Don't let the denormalization of some actual reporting throw you.

I'm not arguing that the story is false, simply that it seems to be part of a coordinated campaign.

at the same time, every article remotely critical of China in HN always has a squadron of comments employing whataboutism and deflection and unsubstantiated accusations of anti-China propaganda.

I think your view might be overly binary.

This story may both be true and be propaganda. What better kind of propaganda than stuff that is actually true?

What's important with propaganda is not how true it is, but the timing and the context and the reason why it is being deployed.

By pointing out that this is part of a campaign, I'm not saying I disagree with the motive for the campaign or the truth claims in the stories (or that I oppose them).

In my view, the mechanisms of propaganda are more interesting than the tit for tat between two morally mediocre powers.

It's not whataboutism to point out that the vast majority of anti-Chinese propaganda being posted to HN is just that. There are real problems in Xinjang. Noted Xinjang politicians and academics do disappear. China has both secret courts and preventive detention. There is real evidence of this eg [1] [2].

But we don't get articles about the actual issues. We get this sort of breathless, fact-free nonsense about millions of people disappearing into "extrajudicial camps." It has no relation to reality and exists only to push a narrative and get clicks.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/world/asia/china-xinjiang...

[2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/07/uighur-gradua...