You can believe whatever you want. But yes, Chinese welcome criticisms if it is from good intentions. In 80s and earlier 90s (around 1989 Tiananmen incident) , most Chinese (including leaders Premier Zhu Rongji) treated Western media and criticism like Bibles. Now so many intellectuals quickly turn nationalistic thanking to so called "free news". It is so ironic that some westerners learn things on China only from newspapers and call Chinese brainwashed. This LA Times article perfectly tells how native Tibetans thought the other side is paradise and only found grass are not that greener:
Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala, India, settle in with disillusionment
Reports like this do come up from time to time but are quickly overwhelmed by sensations like Dalai Lama's "China has massacred 2 million Tibetans since 1959". Boy, you would think Tibet is full of white bones.
On a very popular oversea Chinese web site 6park.com, there's an active Uighur member living in London constantly criticizing certain Chinese minority policy and practices and other Chinese like him very much because he is sincere on making things better and he makes sense. When a few people attacked him, they are soon overwhelmed by curses from the majorities of other Chinese.
Nowadays when something happens in China, they are always blown out of proportion. People try to find bad news out of China like bedbugs sensing blood. And even normal car accidents in China make headline news. Just two days ago we have this title posted here under "WORLD affairs". Under such international scrutiny, people still say China is under Iron curtain.
Before anyone points fingers on China, could you ask yourself a quick question and see which group you belong to?
1. I want to help China to improve and hope Chinese live better
2. I don't like China and hopefully it explodes
3. I don't want China to be too powerful
4. I am jealous of China and feel good when bad things happens.
5. Criticizing others make me feel good.
And:
Do I learn China's current issues purely from media?
If you are from 2-5, sorry, we are not listening to you. And based on the reactions on today's another thread of the China made power plant in Sri Lanka, my impression is most people are belonging to 2-5.