The idea that ASEAN countries rely on the U.S. for security and on China for economy may be overstated. What is true is that they benefit from cooperation with China under the principle of mutual benefit and reciprocity, and they don’t want to rock the boat.

Biden has yielded to pressure in a domestic political struggle and has refused to give up the tradition of flaunting U.S. superiority by subduing any power that may grow to challenge America’s hegemonic position in the world.

Relations will not move toward a military alliance because, at the core, is a shared understanding forged through many strategic interactions. The two countries share similar basic judgments about international relations and U.S. influence.

The ever-outspoken Rodrigo Duterte has navigated a contentious and dynamic situation in Southeast Asia with his bombastic leadership, which has disrupted a nearly century-old relationship with the U.S. No longer satisfied with compliance to American security concerns, Duterte may prove to be a formidable obstacle for Biden’s designs on establishing power in the Pacific.

It is time for China, once and for all, to counter the ideological demonization of the United States and explain itself to the world. To do that, it needs to articulate convincing values and ideas as alternatives to American-style democracy.

Europe is not interested in confronting China. While the European Union and United States agree on the strategic challenge presented by China’s growing assertiveness, they do not always agree on the best way to address it.

Meng Wanzhou, on a routine stopover at Vancouver airport, was arrested in December 2018, starting a long drawn extradition process to the U.S. for Bank fraud by

In his meeting with Vladimir Putin on June 16, Joe Biden acknowledged that the U.S. should no longer talk to the Russians from a position of force. For the first time in a long time, the U.S. engaged with another country without threats. The outcome remains to be seen.

The United States wants to alienate the two countries. Russia will not fully pivot to China, but it hopes to walk a fine line to maximize its interests. With the help of Europe, the U.S. may be able to prevent Russia from undermining the grand strategy of containing China.

The new U.S. president’s opening moves were generally steady and smooth, and some were successful. But America’s deep-rooted political and social contradictions will act as a constraint during Biden’s presidency.