Dalio is pro-China or rather, a representative of the mainstream of other business leaders who are also pro-normal-relations-with-China. But he is not as politically connected as some of the other business leaders who are pro-China. So, he is a political target of convenience for various interests that want to rattle the saber at China. The foreign policy media is more or less directly controlled by some mixture of the intelligence agencies, the military, and the State Department, so things like this are an indirect attempt to apply discipline.

Worth pointing out here that Lee Kuan Yew is perhaps the most widely praised leader of his generation. I read a book about him a couple years ago that was prefaced with endorsements from every president going back to Carter, every major Sec. of State, and so on and so forth. Trying to portray praise of Lee Kuan Yew as unhinged is itself unhinged.