As the president of the Republic of Korea reaches the halfway mark of his tenure, he has acquired some valuable experience for helping bring peace to the peninsula. It’s time to shift into high gear.

The US’ absence at the recent East Asia Summit sent a powerful message to Southeast Asia, a region whose massive population, stellar economic growth, and strategic location would make it a crucial theater. The US may be able to recover, but it must act swiftly – and soon.

The ASEAN Summit this year delivered an inclusive and progressive road map for further cooperation. Six macro-level upgrades were presented.

Recent statements by the EU on the issue of the South China Sea only serve to fan the flames of the dispute and put the valuable EU-China relationship at risk. The EU should reject manipulation by the United States, as well as internal anti-Chinese sentiment, to clear the way for ASEAN’s leadership in resolving the issue.

The status of the conflict in the South China Sea has moved from concerning to critical, as reflected by the changing ASEAN rhetoric concerning the topic. The future of the South China Sea remains dependent on how China and other claimants proceed.

From trade tension between South Korea and Japan to China’s positive outlook, the topics discussed at the most recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting spanned a variety of affairs. With the growing importance of the ASEAN region in global politics, it is important to analyze and understand the group’s discussions.

ASEAN realizes that geopolitical and geostrategic shifts taking place in the region will usher in both rewards and risks. But while being opportunistic, ASEAN knows the stakes are high should unbridled rivalry play out.

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.

The US-China rivalry constitutes a new formidable challenge to Southeast Asia’s cohesion, so they should continue to engage all powers and reinforce consensus among themselves.

Southeast Asia is finding new ways to turn the US-China trade war into an opportunity.