The higher the stage of socialist construction for achieving the independence of the masses reaches, the greater the challenge and resistance by the imperialists become.
As long as imperialism, whose inherent nature and means of existence is aggression and plunder, exists, the source of war cannot be rooted out, and antagonism and struggle between socialism, which aspires after independence and peace, and imperialism is unavoidable in the development of history.
Therefore, it is a crucial and vital requirement in achieving a steady development and prosperity of socialism that conditions and an environment that allow no aggressive threat be created; to this end, we should possess an absolute strength with which we can definitely overwhelm the enemy.
Our Republic, as a citadel of the anti-imperialist struggle and a fortress of socialism, resolutely promoted the construction of a self-reliant national defence capability according to its own timetable in the face of intervention and pressures by the hostile forces of all hues. By doing so, it put an end to the era when the US imperialists unilaterally imposed nuclear threat.
To add to all these other responses, which are all mostly correct, racism also plays a part. I have a “friend” who is fairly left leaning but has some real BS takes on China because his brain is incapable of getting over the racism that’s been ingrained into it by a life of state propaganda. Thus all news of “China bad” is true because it allows him to continue to hate China. “I hate capitalism but also hate China so China isn’t real socialism is just shitty capitalism PRETENDING to be socialism and that’s why all these other leftists don’t hate China because they are being fooled by China saying it’s socialist.”
I’ve talked to people who talked to me like that before. No matter how much proof you present them, they won’t get over it. At most they’ll start to think that you’re insane/brainwashed by CeCePe 1984 State propaganda or something. It’s “China bad”-syndrome.