Whether or not the struggling talks produce an agreement soon, the US and China do not need to be defensive about the TPP. Instead, they should open an obstruction-free channel for dialogue, through which both countries can use anticipatory diplomacy to enhance mutual trust.

Economic and security structures in the Asia-Pacific region have shown a trend of changes towards the “dual-track structure” between U.S.-led allies and Chinese-led allies. It is imperative for China and the U.S. to optimize strengthen their complementary features, rather than maintain a bipolar and competitive nature, so as to ensure development and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Zhai Kun provides four suggestions to achieve this.

The Third Session of the 12th National People’s Congress delivered a “Report on the Work of the Government.” Notable advancement was made in conducting economic diplomacy with the Silk Road Economic Belt, 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Silk Road Fund. More significant openness to the outside world and expanded economic diplomacy are priorities of diplomatic work in 2015.

As the two largest economies, China and the U.S. are trying to formulate a new-type of major-country relationship. The establishment of a free trade area should be an integral part of such relationship. This will be a challenging mission, but the rewards will be tremendous.

In 2015, ASEAN will continue to pursue its priority objective of creating an ASEAN community. As China sees it, the creation of a China-ASEAN community with a shared destiny now stands at a new historical starting point. China will advance and be proactive in its diplomacy. What will ASEAN choose?

Xi-Obama meetings following the APEC summit helped spur new topics and commitments to bilateral cooperation, most notably with the creation of an impactful new climate treaty. Yu Xiang discusses new international issues – responding to Ebola, IS, and a military reporting mechanism – for extending Sino-U.S. cooperation.

The initiatives and enormous investments turned the APEC meeting in Beijing from a “talk shop” to one of action. Han Liqun stresses that all APEC member economies should be fully confident in building an open and liberal economic and trade environment in the Asia-Pacific.

China is the leading advocate for progress in the form of a “feasibility study” on an inclusive new regional trade agreement, the FTAAP. Concerned that this will detract from U.S. regional interests, the FTAAP ironically has provided impetus for the completion of the U.S.-led TPP proposal.

He Weiwen dislodges the notion that the FTAAP is inherently in opposition to the TPP by discussing APEC plans to phase out regional free trade agreements in favor of creating a singular FTAAP; this more inclusive agreement which would serve as the “greatest common denominator” for standards and investment treaties in the Asian Pacific.

The Asian Pacific has seen a proliferation of Free Trade Associations over the years due to changing value chains, laws, and regional competition. Zhang Monan posits that the FTAAP would be the most beneficial and inclusive solution for the approaching APEC meeting in Beijing.