The two Koreas and other relevant parties should focus their concern on peninsular, Asian and global peace and return to the negotiation table to create a new peace regime on “dual tracks”. This will help the peninsula, Northeast Asia and the whole Asian region realize permanent stability and peaceful development.

The Asia Pacific policy statement had all the core ingredients of the Obama administration, even though labels such as “rebalance” and “pivot to Asia” were missing. While the sense of continuity was reassuring, if the region is looking for creative and new approaches to maintain regional peace and stability, it must have been disappointed.

Doing nothing is not an option. Taking limited steps in the Security Council like the June 2nd U.N. resolution, while welcome, still lack substantive action to drastically alter the security situation on the peninsula. The hair trigger for a misstep and disaster grows tighter every day that Kim Jung-un remains unbound and unrestrained.

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ speech used the Shangri-La Asia Security Dialogue as a platform to criticize some Chinese actions, but also offer options for cooperation regarding Korea. He reassured allies, reaffirmed alliances, and expressed a generally cooperative stance to resolving international challenges.

As expected, China may face criticism at this year’s Shangri-La Asia Security Summit in Singapore. While the U.S. may strike a balance in the keynote policy speech by Defense Secretary James Mattis, Japan is likely to wage a PR campaign against China.

The lack of clarity and consistency in the Trump administration’s approach to Asia is creating a security dilemma in the region. U.S. action and inaction has left room for a possible arms race and further instability in the region. The United States must begin consistent policy of engagement and a clear strategic approach in Asia in order to quell the budding security dilemma the current atmosphere presents.

Though the election of Donald Trump at first seemed likely to change the U.S.-Russia-China strategic triangle, relations between the countries have largely remained where they were under Obama. If you remember your geometry lessons, we now have an isosceles triangle—China occupies the pivotal position at the top and has better relations with both Russia and the United States than they have with each other.

The nature of Washington’s alliance network was always based on the assumption that the United States was firmly in charge of policy decisions. The risk inherent to America’s allies from that arrangement is now becoming increasingly evident.

Mar-a-Lago summit has offered predictability and sense of direction for the bilateral ties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Japanese counterpart that China opposes "unhelpful" unilateral sanctions on North Korea but will work within the United Nations to formulate a necessary response to its fifth nuclear test.