You underestimate the Chinese craving for admiration. The belt and road initiative was mainly that: A signal to the people in China that said "We are back on the world stage and now we are the guys that help others to develop". Sure, it may also have been debt trap, but other than populist voices like to portray it, that was not the actual goal.
So, if Facebook does it, it's evil, but it's fine if publishers and newspaper do it on their websites?