> I think most people who read news regularly can agree that nearly 100% of the news about China these days are negative, and never anything positive.

That's only relevant if you compare it to other topics and there's a discrepancy. There's very little positive content in the political news I read, even when it's about Western countries. If something works or is going well it's almost not news by definition, at least it's less likely to appear on the front page.

Because most of the "positive advances" they make are a direct consequence of their inhumane government that can afford to do whatever it wants or just plain PR. Just look at their COVID response, for example.

Of course it's political as well, but there's no way around that.

Yes, but then you could make entirely the same point about the US. But generally this isn't done, especially not here. That's what makes it xenophobic.