[knzhou]

Most such stories fall apart after a little prodding. Almost always, detentions are either dumb mistakes, quickly reversed, or the result of actual lawbreaking. Often you read a little further and it's like, "well yes, the drugs I was selling were technically against Chinese law, but..."

However, that is not as fun a conclusion as joining in on bashing the outgroup.

[jhanschoo]

This may be that, and is most likely that for most other countries, but the PRC has a history of disappearances and detainment under false charges, along with elements of the whole Stalin theater. This is why many are immediately more concerned when something like this happens in China than in say, Switzerland.