Guitars made in China do have a bad reputation. Some deservedly, but only some. The ones that deserve a poor reputation are really quite easy to spot. If you know much about guitars, then you can decide what's acceptable, or at least what you like.
Epiphone and Washburn are just a couple of companies that get a LOT of instruments made in China. People buy big name instruments made in Indonesia, Korea, The Philippines and Taiwan, so I can't see anything wrong with buying a Chinese made instrument.
I build guitars here in Hong Kong by special request. I used to do it as my full time job in Australia, but there's too many sheep here that just buy off the shelf, or what 'everyone' says you should have. I don't bother with beginner to mid level instruments, or copies of boring instruments you can buy off the shelf.
If you already know what you want, and where from, you could consider ordering online. It's best if you can give the specific instrument the full workout before buying, of course, but sometimes it's just not an option. If you're considering a Japanese made instrument, then you can probably rely on their quality control standards and consistency. I would never buy an American made instrument online. They're far more individual and need to be tested individually.