Amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, the Biden administration orchestrated a significant breakthrough by fostering closer relations between South Korea and Japan. This shift is underscored by a recent trilateral summit involving the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, where leaders addressed shared challenges posed by China and North Korea. This collaboration signifies a critical step towards regional security, economic resilience, and a unified approach to navigating the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific.

The deepening trilateral collaboration of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea is undermining stability on the Korean Peninsula, and recent provocative actions, will only serve to escalate tensions further. In addition, harsh rhetoric erodes the fragile trust of nations and could result in a generalized sense of insecurity.

Russia’s suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukrainian grain to reach the market, has exacerbated the food crisis facing the global South. While the conference excluded Russia, it provided an opportunity for China to step forward.

At the recent international security gathering, China made clear that it opposes military hegemony — where a superpower seeks to settle disputes by force. China, by contrast is working to bring the international community together to shape a new order that is more just and reasonable.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more sophisticated, its impact on international stability also increases. China and the U.S. should draw from historical arms treaties and adopt a cooperative approach to regulating AI to prevent conflict and promote global stability.

The common interests of China, Japan and South Korea far outweigh their differences. They share highly integrated economic networks and industrial chains, and so there is an urgent need to prevent the window of opportunity for dialogue from closing. The United States is not making it easy.

A recent IAEA report says that Japan’s plan to dump radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean meets safety standards. Not everyone is so glib. In navigating the controversy, China can play a positive role.

With stepped up military cooperation, the Philippines has joined the “first team” of U.S. allies working to restrict and subdue China. Yet others, such as Indonesia, have applied the brakes.

Boundaries have always been a core element in international politics. The United States has extended its Monroe Doctrine from the dominance of its own hemisphere to the world at large, so it’s hard to say exactly what the boundaries of NATO will look like in the future. But we know it will be expanding.

U.S. allies in East Asia are growing reluctant to support American military actions in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan. These allies express concerns about the significant costs and risks associated with such a conflict, prompting them to advocate for restraint and inform Washington that it would have to confront any resulting conflict with China independently.