Evil depends on what perspective you're looking at.
Every American has been fed so much propaganda that they see this as good vs evil fight.
Meanwhile, when I visited China, people there only saw this as a political fight. A theater for economical gains. That's it.
But in order to sell the American public on their actions, politicians have to demonize their foreign opponents in every way possible - often portraying them as "evil".
I'm sorry but you have no grounds to claim you know Chinese people's political outlook based on a visit.
Mainland China is still cut off from knowing a big chunk of human thought. Realism - the school of thought you're describing - is the Marxist mode in a place you can't vocally disagree without serious consequences. No wonder it's what you heard.
