China and the United States should cooperate to remove the fundamental causes of failure — lack of trust, differing definitions of denuclearization, timetables and peace mechanisms — while accounting for the DPRK’s wariness of the so-called Libya model.

The United States and other nuclear powers are part of the problem. But they can also be part of the solution. The existing nuclear order isn’t perfect, but no country can afford to let it fall apart. Now is the time to act.

The United States wants Iran make the first concession — such as ending its uranium enrichment activities. That would be significant for Iran. But because of mistrust, Iran is likely to wait for the U.S. to make the first move.

Perhaps America has underestimated China’s resolve, even as it blurs diplomatic and military lines. No one should underestimate the negative impact on peaceful reunification that further engagement between the U.S. and Taipei might have.

The Chinese government has so far adhered to its commitment to peaceful reunification with Taiwan. But a fundamental change in China’s stance, forced by a dangerously cavalier U.S. attitude, will make it hard to avoid a non-peaceful solution.

If the United States is serious, it can begin by trying to establish basic trust through the removal of some sanctions. It can also push off to the future its demand to consider other issues beyond the JCPOA, which only complicate matters at this stage.

A just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one does not. At a time when most countries in the Asia-Pacific region are striving to maintain peace and stability, the U.S. has deliberately waded in to create antagonism and the potential for cutthroat competition.

Escalating conflicts are not a winning proposition for the U.S. and China, and signs from recent interactions between the two may indicate that leaders on both sides want to steer the relationship toward a more stable scenario.

Both the EU and ASEAN have largely criticized the newly announced AUKUS deal, leaving many European nations and China’s neighboring states scrambling to respond to the addition of nuclear submarines to Australia’s arsenal.

The AUKUS defense agreement continues to shake up relations in Southeast Asia, as the nations caught between Australia and China move to protect stability in the region as the staredown between the U.S. and China intensifies.