As a Chinese, I never considered myself as a communist-lover, and I probably saw more shady things happened in the country than probably most foreigners here. But, I assume that's not why people clicked this thread.
Yuan Longping is an icon. A scientist who dedicated almost his entire life to improve the life of the others through his research and groundworks, which saved billions of people from starvation across the world. This alone deserve some praise, regardless which political party you're in.
Now, if you're still unconvinced, think about this: He increased the yields of rice, and rice is a kind of food people eat. The only way rice could hurt people is through probably obesity, you can't even make or launch nuclear bombs with it. So why feel triggered?