China is positioning itself as the stable global power while Trump and Putin look like supplicants visiting Beijing.

• Xi hosted Putin in Beijing days after hosting Trump, with the same parade and cheering kids — Trump wasn't getting special treatment after all.
• Xi warned the world is sliding back to "law of the jungle" and pitched China as a stabilizing force, an attack on US go-it-alone foreign policy.
• China and Russia are talking about a new pipeline so China can get oil without going through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran could block.
• Iran threatened to extend the conflict beyond the Middle East if the US and Israel attack again, while Trump keeps flip-flopping on bombing dates.
• Regular Iranians are getting crushed — rents nearly doubled, minimum wage is around $90 to $120 a month, and the poverty line sits at $400.
• Suspicious oil trades worth $800 million are being investigated as insiders appear to bet ahead of Trump's volatile posts.

Outlook: If US chaos continues, China keeps gaining ground as the trustworthy partner, and the dollar's role as the world currency comes under more pressure.