The U.S. has placed the other members of the group in a disadvantageous position, expecting each of them to confront China. Instead, what they will discover is that they are missing out on the benefits China offers.

The behavior of both US and Chinese officials at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue signaled the end of a period of relative peace in the Indo-Pacific region. The smaller states are increasingly concerned that the two superpowers will simply stumble into war, and urge the two to find common ground on shared challenges to maintain a peaceful relationship.

Trump’s grueling 12-day Asia tour was a quest for mega deals. But as U.S. policies in Asia are shifting, a stress on competitive U.S.-Chinese visions neglects a historic bilateral opportunity to redefine global integration.

If Americans interpret current Chinese activities to be a reaction to American weakness, they will likely come to a very different understanding of Beijing’s motives than if they viewed China’s actions as a response to American strength. Unfortunately, much of the discussion on this topic issues from assumptions that are not always critically evaluated.

Since his election in mid-2016, the Philippines’ tough-talking mayor-turned-president, Rodrigo Duterte, has lavished Russia with praise. Moscow’s rapprochement with Manila is part of a broader effort by the Eurasian powerhouse to assert its long-diminished strategic presence in the Far East and the Western Pacific, including in the South China Sea.

Like the confidence-building measures that have maintained peace and stability along the disputed China-India border, a code of conduct agreement with ASEAN will smooth relations and invite new cooperation — without regard to the Philippines’ improper and unilateral appeal for outside arbitration.

Enter the Rooster, exit the Monkey. As 2017 begins, Curtis S. Chin and Jose B. Collazo take look at who’s in, and who’s out in Asia—from an outgoing U.S. president and a pivot and partnership that were not to be to a tough-talking leader.

Southeast Asia is unlikely to receive the attention and focus it has under the Obama Administration. Despite this, members of Congress will maintain a focus in the region. Particularly, the legislative will take the lead given the country’s most ardent Myanmar watchers remain in Congress. Regional concerns continue to focus around human rights concerns and radicalization. Although the Obama “pivot” to Asia may be over, a continued relationship will remain.

As the president-elect makes bold statements and takes symbolic actions relevant to US-Sino relations, perhaps a bit of folklore suggests how to think about wise policy actions.

China-US relations have reached a new historic juncture, which is characterized by new dynamics in the interactions between the two countries at a strategic level. The result is a new configuration of China-US relations that will be stable if the US can set aside its eagerness to be dominant across the globe.