A tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters has provoked a fierce backlash from China. The fallout is already costing the NBA, but the situation also presents a challenge to Beijing, as American basketball is immensely popular in China.

Responses to the People’s Republic of China’s 70th anniversary celebrations fall into two opposing camps, focusing on either China’s accomplishments or its ongoing challenges. Both sides miss important questions of context, however, without which one cannot understand China’s achievements—or their limits.