Ya, that is a concern too. Either state media is trying to hide the strength or you have some obsolete planners still calling the shots. We see F-15 SE carrying heavy strike smartbombs/sdb + AA missle photoshoot, while we get J-16 and a few unguided rocket pods LOL
"State media" -- given how secretive the PLA are, and given what weapons we know are part of regular inventory for the various fighter types, in TYOOL 2021, is there anyone who believes that the lack of routine pictures of PLA fighters carrying heavy loads is due to anything other than deliberate PLA secrecy and the fact that heavy loads are rarely carried in peacetime?
This isn't state media being secretive.
This is the PLA allowing certain things to be photographed and videoed and not allowing other things to be photographed and videoed.