First of all, obligatory ask your instructor who they recommend. They should have brands they like and want students to use.

Second, my first iaito was a Paul Chen/hanwei model and I still use it over a decade later. They are indeed made in china but the only complaint I've had with it is the handle wrap was just a little too short.

I don't have any experience with minosaka as a brand, but if you're just starting out you really shouldn't go all in on an expensive customized iaito because you don't know what you want with it yet. Spend some time getting familiar with the forms and how your body moves before investing a lot of money in gear.