In answer to the first question, decades of Western hypocrisy have undermined trust in its assessments of China. Decades of double standards have eroded the credibility of the West, from repeated invasions of Asian and Middle Eastern nations to exploitative behaviour across the world.
So why doesn’t the world view China as the villain despite the best efforts of the West to vilify it?
First, many non-Western nations were colonies of, or exploited by the West (and continue to be). They recognise the West is driven by the desire to maintain its economic superiority, which has come from centuries of imperial power. This is why non-Western countries have to be legitimised as “civilised and democratic” by Western gatekeepers if they are to be offered the opportunity to live peacefully and prosperously, without sanctions, trade wars, and real wars.
Second, many post-colonial nations have suffered from the neoliberal prescriptions of the West and seen how it has used the “spread” of democracy to deny them their own sovereign rights. They have seen how the West selectively uses human rights arguments to undermine the legitimate actions of other nations, while turning a blind eye to blatant human rights violations by Western-aligned states.
Third, non-Western countries may have qualms about the Chinese governance model and aspects of its foreign policy, but they also respect China’s successes. They are not fooled by biased Western reporting: they look at the facts, see the results, and visit China to understand it.
They see a government that has worked for the people and produced results. These non-Western nations want to produce the same results for their people, rather than adhering to more of the misleading and condescending Western rhetoric about democracy as a utopian fast-track.
Lastly, China has been ramping up its investment and relationship-building across the world – such as through the Belt and Road Initiative and coronavirus vaccine agreements.