Why does the US often face two Chinas?

As the date for President Donald Trump’s high-stakes trip to Beijing approaches, the American media landscape is once again fractured by a familiar paradox.

If you tune into one network, you will hear that China is the ultimate victor of the current U.S.-Iran conflict, allegedly reaping the rewards of regional instability while secretly funneling military materials to Tehran. Switch the channel, and the narrative flips: China has supposedly betrayed its “strategic partner” in Iran, quietly siding with Washington to protect its global trade interests.