As it grows stronger, South Korea naturally wants to play a bigger role in world affairs. But drawing close to the U.S. in all fields to elevate its importance will ultimately constrain its diplomatic space and flexibility.

The U.S. is currently attempting to lump China with Russia, but the conflict in Ukraine is not likely to change America’s competitive strategy toward China in the long run. The U.S. will continue to focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, the U.S. gradually began pointing its finger at China. Now it’s asking China to stab Russia in the back. One cannot help but ask: After burying Russia, as it hopes, does the U.S. expect to lead its Western allies to bury China?

The Ukraine war has put China in a bind. As a friend of both Russia and Ukraine, China has no desire to pick a side. On the contrary, conventional Chinese wisdom dictates that, when two friends fight each other, the primary objective must be to end the conflict through mediation. While China’s balanced stance has aroused more than a little suspicion, it could end up hastening the end of the war – and easing tensions with the United States.

China and the United States engage in different ways with other countries. China knows what ASEAN member states really want, while the U.S. maintains the notion of “America first.” It’s only natural for ASEAN leaders to act in their national self-interest.

China hosted two multinational meetings in Tunxi this week to discuss Afghanistan.

Expect China and the U.S. to remain in a state of strategic stalemate for a long time. The most dangerous moments in bilateral ties will be when the two countries strengths bump against one another. We must be fully prepared for that.

As the global community turns against an increasingly isolated Russia, China’s silence on the topic becomes more easily interpreted as support for Putin’s war. The untenable stance will be sure to drive more friction between the West and China and puts China’s foreign interests in further jeopardy.

In their upcoming summit, China and Europe should steadfastly oppose any kind of new cold war. With the Ukraine conflict increasing the risk of decoupling, the need for joint responsibility to prevent a new cold war is clear.

Fast-moving events are forcing the United States to adopt a more cooperative posture toward China, whose help it needs to meet the expectations of the international community. Cooperation has assumed increasing real-world importance.