It is standard because everyone has their own experiences with various subjects and products.
The OP asked about where he could get lite ply like the Chinese use in ARFs. That isn't really a question anyone can answer honestly unless the person answering knows where the plants that manufacture ARFs get their lite ply from. To keep the prices as low as they are, the lite ply almost has to come from someplace in China as other supply sources probably get theirs from plants close to where the balsa or birch are cut and processed. We all know how much aircraft grade ply is and most of the higher quality stuff comes from Finland