There has been a very noticeable and sudden shift in the socialist discourse re:China in the last couple years, right as the propaganda war against them has also intensified. It used to be more or less commonly accepted that the party was revisionist and had strongly liberalized and long betrayed Marxism-Leninism. I for one know I’m personally more sympathetic towards the party than I was a couple years ago, and it definitely has a lot of merits and achievements to show off for itself, and there’s absolutely a horrendous campaign of slander and lies about them directed at the general public.

I think you’re right and people are forming too strong opinions too quickly. It’s understandable of course given how sinophobia is every day more mainstream, but I also think more criticism can give way to more interesting and sometimes productive conversations. I don’t know. It’s too easy to just dismiss arguments one way or another just because you agree or don’t agree that their line is coherent with Marxism-Leninism or more generally communism.