In the nineteenth century, the world was Europeanized. In the twentieth century, it was Americanized. Now, it is being Asianized – and much faster than you may think.

China and the United States find themselves in a situation that is gradually souring, but the current US strategy towards China is not exclusively a Trumpian one.

ASEAN’s best strategy for keeping China’s revisionist ambitions at bay and preserving maximum room for strategic maneuver is to engage the USA.

Labeling China as a strategic rival, the Trump administration is working to build a four-layer network of allies and partners to encircle China. It will likely lead to an Asian version of NATO.

After the United States officially withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the country hopes to deploy medium-range missiles in Asia. This remark quickly sparked widespread controversy, and most countries don’t want to see the terrible scene of a missile race in the region.

Relying on its extraordinary strength, the United States can apply extreme pressure to chop an integral free trade agreement into several parts and then negotiate advantages in each.

China may not have been the start of the China-US trade war, but it is a key factor in finishing it. Beijing must consider serious reform if it wants to repair its ties with the U.S. and preserve its ties with the rest of the globe.

The United States’s intention to establish missile sites in Asia has the potential to escalate into a new arms race. Does the US have the ability to build adequate missiles, where would the missiles be stationed, and how will such missiles influence security in the Asia-pacific region?

American multinationals may like the idea of forcing China to alter the policies and practices – from subsidies for state-owned enterprises to the requirement that foreign firms share proprietary technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market – that place them at a competitive disadvantage. But, as US President Donald Trump’s trade war continues to escalate, it is worth asking: What price are these companies really willing to pay?

In a trade war between two of the world’s largest economies, there are no winners. The U.S.-China trade spat will have spillover effects, with severe consequences for not only Asia, but the rest of the world.