As a self-labeled world leader, the US should abandon its provocative and destabilizing air and sea exercises in the South China Sea – and sign and abide by UNCLOS wholly and thoroughly instead of citing a few isolated words and phrases to serve its purpose.

Washington’s efforts to strengthen bilateral security alliances with East Asia and Pacific nations give credence to China’s suspicions of a containment policy directed against China’s growing economic and military capabilities. However, China may be looking to Latin America to offset U.S. attempts for primacy in Asia.

China has no ambition to dominate Asia or the world, and Washington must resist misconstruing China’s development strategies and policies. It is imperative that the two countries dispel misgivings and strengthen communication, deepen understanding and mutual trust, in order to build a new type of major-country relations featuring non-confrontation, non-conflict and win-win cooperation.

The US strategy ignores the legitimate desire of most countries for peace and development and upsets the natural balance in the region. If Washington insists on playing the role of “regional balancer” under a misguided Cold War mentality, it would achieve nothing but create imbalance and walk right into the “hegemon’s trap” despite repeated historical lessons.

The obstinate pursuit of US military hegemony in Asia will inevitably harm interests of both the US and Asian countries. The fundamentally flawed strategy could neither enhance the confidence of US allies, nor give any chance of US victory in any accidental conflicts or unfortunate wars in Asia. In any cost-benefit analysis, the effort is a waste of taxpayers’ money with no possible prospect of playing a constructive role in the region.

While the US struggles to adjust to its changing role in the international order, China should not give up its principles in handling relations, but be more active, practical and effective in expanding cooperation, and continue to facilitate the building of a new type of major-country relationship between the two countries.

Washington has forced its way into the issue to complicate it further and escalate of regional tension. Such an egocentric move is against the trend of the times and the fundamental interests of the countries in the region and is bound to end in failure.

For many years, United States military airplanes and ships have conducted close-in surveillance operations on China. Recently, with a more ostentatious move, a U.S. Navy vessel sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Zhongjian Island in China’s Xisha Archipelago in violation of Chinese sovereignty. The U.S. claimed that they will continue the practice in the future.

As large parts of Asia celebrate the arrival of the Lunar New Year on February 8th, it’s in with the Year of the Monkey. But before the Year of the Sheep fully recedes into memory, we take our annual look back at the people and events that made headlines across Asia—for good and for bad.

With Japan’s pride and nationalist impulse to play a bigger international role now rising, its domestic debate on national-security and constitutional reform is set to intensify. Although rising powers tend to be revisionist powers, a politically resurgent Japan, strikingly, is seeking to uphold the present Asian political and maritime order.