War would be a disaster for all. And as Washington policymakers seem to be moving further in that direction, China and the U.S. must contemplate the consequences of military conflict and remember that it would not be their leaders who pay the price, but their people.

Will the Asia-Pacific chart a course forward? Or will it return to the status quo of the Cold War? Mentality matters, and the old thinking inevitably leads to misjudgments. The U.S. sees China through the same prism it once saw the Soviet Union but neglects the fundamental differences of two hugely different ages.

We need to learn how to respect differences and live harmoniously, because not all people or cultures are alike. It’s not healthy for the new Indo-Pacific concept — which works against open regionalism — to replace the traditional notion of the Asia-Pacific.

The region has maintained overall security and stability for more than 40 years, largely because of the strategic rationality and sobriety of governments in the neighborhood. Major powers that want to interfere should take note.

Once a spirited rivalry between the U.S. and Soviet Union, space exploration is now a two-way race between the U.S. and China. But initiatives like China’s Shenzhou program and the U.S.’ SpaceX, among other private industry programs, are challenging the duopoly that bureaucrats in Washington and Moscow once had on all space exploration.

As the United States attempts to merge Europe and Asia into a systemic whole for the purpose of dealing with China and Russia, much more concerted activity can be expected.

The KMT’s victories in November, while largely centered on local issues, can work to the benefit cross-Strait ties. Taiwan needs more political leaders with a greater sense of responsibility for the nation, a sense of historic mission and courage for change.

Could the United States and China go to war over Taiwan? China regards the island 90 miles (145 kilometers) off its coast as a renegade province, and President Xi Jinping raised the issue at the recent 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Though Xi said he prefers reunification by peaceful means, his objective was clear, and he did not rule out the use of force. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, the share of the population identifying as solely Taiwanese continues to exceed the share that identifies as both Chinese and Taiwanese.

The DPRK places Northeast Asia at risk, and their current military trajectory could pose problems for the PRC as well as the U.S. and its allies. So despite their fundamental differences, it’s in the best interests of both Washington and Beijing to find opportunities to cooperate to promote regional stability.

ASEAN toes a delicate balancing act between China and the United States, and the latest ASEAN Summit demonstrates the complexities involved in steering clear of unnecessary tensions.