Despite superficial appearances and some genuine outreach between Trump and Putin, the differences between these rival countries are too complex, too deep and too historic to quickly wash away, even if such a move was in American interests.

North Korea continues to embarrass its nominal friend and ally, the People’s Republic of China. The North’s Kim Jong-un apparently ordered a hit on his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, who was murdered at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia airport.

With America further withdrawing during Trump’s presidency, the Middle East will have new geopolitical landscape with new complexity. It should be clear that China’s growing economic relations with the region should benefit the region, though how soon and how much this relationship can enhance peace or stability remains to be seen.

The Asia Society and the University of California, San Diego, under the co-chairmanship of Orville Schell and Susan Shirk, have published a task force report on “US Policy Toward China: Recommendations for a New Administration.” Roughly two years in the making, the point of this report in light of the timing — published in February 2017 — is to serve as a guide for the Trump administration.

As a new president assessing old policy, Mr. Trump has every right to take a fresh look at One-China, review the U.S.’s stance towards Taiwan, and make changes he sees fit. However, making Taiwan a bargaining chip in any deal with China is not the way to go about it. In fact, it showed a fundamental lack of understanding of the One-China issue on the part of Trump’s transition team.

Trump’s commitment to honor the one-China policy opens the door for discussions on many ways to develop the world’s most important bilateral relationship, and to seek constructive approaches to resolve each other’s major concerns.

Major powers need to work together to push globalization forward in the right direction, with more equitable benefits for people in every country. Any action to gain geopolitical advantage at the expense of another major power will not only bring risks to global security but damage prospects for world economic growth.

Mr. Tillerson betrays a lack of understanding of the U.S. position on the sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. As a matter of policy, the U.S. takes no position – and hasn’t for decades – on these rival claims. If the Secretary of State has the chance to encounter 96-year Li Jingsen on his next visit to Beijing, he might learn that the warships sent by China to recover the islands in 1946 were even provided by the United States.

The US President Donald Trump talked to Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. In the White House press readout, the call was termed as “lengthy” and “cordial”. At Trump’s press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a day later, he described his conversation with Chinese counterpart on the phone as “very warm”.

Donald Trump’s contentious telephone conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull caused worried reactions in the United States. Washington’s behavior will consist more of abrasive demands rather than requests and quiet diplomacy. Trump’s America First policy means giving highest priority to U.S. interests, not maintaining cordial alliance relations. That is a major change that Washington’s partners in East Asia and Europe will have to face.