As big powers, China and the United States need to show restraint in cyberspace. The announcements by Apple Pay to partner with China UnionPay and by Microsoft to work with Chinese researchers to develop the Windows 10 operating system are but two instances of growing Sino-US cooperation in the cyber sphere.

Russian relations with NATO have tensed up as a result of Moscow’s intervention and squabble with Turkey, as the US re-weighs its core interests and level of involvement on the ground in the region.

Effective cooperation among all nations to throttle terrorists’ means of fund-raising – particularly oil deals -- is urgently needed in the global war against terrorism. But that short-term goal must be followed by a long-term objective: stability in the Mideast region.

Presently, public sentiment to minimize the risk of terror is on the rise, one of the factors prompting the US to reassess its strategic goals in the Middle East. The result is a more united front in the war against terrorism.

While China’s action falls within common international legal practice, Manila’s unilateral pursuit of its claims violates the rule and spirit of its agreements with Beijing on how to resolve such disputes, and threatens the peaceful order of the region. China and other claimants are all developing countries with economic and social uplift as their main task, and should settle their disputes with direct negotiation as outlined in ASEAN agreements.

Both countries should promise not to carry out attacks on financial institutions and entities that underpin the global economy, share information on third-party threats to the financial sector, encourage and incentivize the banking industry to make the strictest rules for ensuring information safety, and strengthen resilience against various forms of cyber attacks.

The global community needs the participation of countries where the IS and other terror groups have made their bases, with the help and backing of the broad masses of Muslim people in the region. Outside force has proven to be inadequate to eliminate the violence and the root causes behind it, and serious nation-building is required.

In Tokyo, the Abe government is creating a new base in which the use of any U.S. air, sea, or ground forces will be unrestricted. Part of the Obama administration’s aim to maintain unchallengeable American military supremacy in East Asia, the construction of this base is already increasing tension throughout the region.

While outside interference in Middle Eastern affairs has done nothing to improve the employment situation, build strong and efficient political structure, and prompt a solid union against terrorism, a kind of regional security structure including major regional powers and external powers is urgently needed. In this regard, the U.S. can do a lot, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative should be another opportunity for a fresh approach.

Manilla’s arbitration requests in the South China Sea concern the standing of “historic rights”; the status of certain land features in these waters and the maritime entitlements they are capable of generating; and the lawfulness of certain Chinese land reclamation and law enforcement actions. Likely neither Beijing nor Manilla will walk away dejected, however.