APEC 2015 ended with a vow to combat terrorism, yet the Summit refused to be distracted from its true goal – economic development. In the coming years, the United States, China, and the Association of Southeast Nations must compromise if they truly want to invest in both regional peace and economic development.

Washington’s move to politicize this meeting simply reflects the growing frustration of a US that doesn’t know how to deal with China. This time it has taken a wrong approach to confront China at the wrong occasion. The result was not helpful in improving relations among the countries concerned.

China's top admiral said his forces have shown "enormous restraint" in the face of U.S. provocations in the South China Sea, while warning they stand ready to respond to repeated breaches of Chinese sovereignty.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the basic norm of international relations. The US is duty-bound to make a careful study of China’s solemn position on this vital issue and show proper respect for China’s sovereignty instead of taking provocative actions based on contrived legal interpretations.

Richard Weitz reviews the recent speech of U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who describes China’s potential to challenge the U.S.-built international order through its assertive stance in the South China Sea, and finds his approach sensible, given the mixed and fluid strategic relationship between the two countries.

In October, the USS Lassen sailed within twelve nautical miles of an artificial Chinese island in the South China Sea as a “freedom of navigation patrol.” Benjamin Reynolds argues that China should not risk a military confrontation by responding to American patrols.

US naval actions in the South China Sea are about hegemony and power politics, a prevailing pursuit in the world in the 19th century, under the cloak of a 21st century pretense to safeguard freedom of navigation and international justice. The reality is: The US wants to check any expansion of Chinese power in the South China Sea.

If Washington embraces cooperation instead of pursuing rivalry, all partners can harvest good results, and the US can still be a powerful partner. Why not do so?

Speaking at the National University of Singapore on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that there will never be a problem with freedom of maritime navigation or overland flights in the South China Sea

Inserting itself in the South China Sea disputes and sending a warship to the waters close to China’s islands and reefs, the U.S. risks escalating the trend of militarization in the region. While the two countries need “quiet diplomacy” to resolve differences, further escalation in U.S. military actions will certainly alienate the general public of China and cause a tougher military response, significantly amplifying the risk of a conflict between the two countries.