Liberals, the more diehard Obama worshipping reddit mod types call China authoritarian literally only because they chose a different path than western-aligned, free market capitalism, they will never call out state power abuses of South Korea or Japan because that would expose they're hypocritical - that it isn't about authoritarianism, it's about being / not being an extension of the West.
Even if China were a literal utopia, they would invent reasons to hate them. Because they don't care about material reality but instead achieving the appearance of having the morally righteous position, and/or to get their ego stroked by strangers, and/or worst of all, merely for the sake of virtual internet points. They approach politics not with analysis, ideals or ethics but like sports fans: "my side better because ____ , your side worse because _____ ".
Like with the DPRK, because it is closed off to the world and it becomes hard to get real dirt on them they just make up stories to 'prove' it is bad, so that the leaders and countries they side with are seen as superior in whatever way. It's so childish and they happily do the work of the CIA for free, I'm not a very hateful person but these type of liberals, I find completely fucking repulsive.