The movie Red Dawn was banned in parts of West Germany, hated by the American media and the Russians had some ability to block or influence some negative Hollywood and television portrayals, people forget how intense it was between the left elites and the Reagan loving, America loving public.
Same thing today with Quaid’s ‘Reagan’ film. The Rotten critics hates it, but the viewers love it.
China also took advantage by making them look like the “good guys” back then, and in Red Dawn.
No question that was their strategy to take advantage of the Anti-Soviet mentality of the time, to appear to be our friend.