SCMP always treads the line for me between opinions I happen not to agree with, and propaganda. They never really do or say anything "wrong," objectively, but there's always a little trickle of really weird stuff in the feed.
That said, this article doesn't seem wrong to me. It just seems realistic. Maybe they're being dishonest about the underlying reality, but it doesn't automatically seem wrong to me. Maybe if I knew more I would change my mind but that's my take on it.