Of course they're viewed more positively in middle income than high income countries. The high income countries are all part of a global military alliance focused entirely on destroying communism and have fed their populations anti-communist propaganda for decades.

They're one the main geopolitical adversaries of the political block that all the rich countries have formed, whereas they are investing in and helping develop poorer countries.

It is an absolute laugh though that all the countries that destroyed the Middle East over the last 30 years think China is a threat to world peace.