It's not a bad idea to be slightly suspicious of a county that's quite willing to stave millions of its own people to death and call it a "great leap".

Not disagreeing on the above, I agree quite strongly in fact. It’s important we are critical of our own tribes.

Your final question though is maybe worth a challenge. Why can’t both sides be in the wrong? I always find we are quick to make a problem quite polar without accepting the grey mush in between.

In this case, China has similarly also demonstrated its far reaching and abusive capabilities when given the opportunity (my thoughts around belt-and-road, Tibet, Uighurs and its own treatment of its people in its past). Your point on china not being in a war is also one that can be challenged, proxy wars have and continue to be a thing. China has played their part and continue contributing to active conflicts.

Hindsight is the wrong view here. They publicly stated they will take back Taiwan with force, and they’ve been preparing for it and running exercises to practice it. It’s going to happen in the next few years

Meanwhile they will have their own genocides and human rights abuses https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1125932