Agree on the last part. It's the halo effect, because he talks so well, and is really knowledgeable about Asia (I mean, it's basically 1:1 with my experience of rural China, which is not an experience anybody lives/hear about).

His opinions on other stuff is mostly informed. But it's informed bullshit mostly (does not mean it's wrong, it means that that's like asking ChatGPT about it).