The failure of the U.S. president’s Mideast visit in July can be attributed largely to insensitivity over the legitimate concerns of GCC countries. It’s yet another example of America’s long-standing pattern of pushing for its own agenda at the expense of others’ dignity.

China carried out another test of an anti-missile intercept system and claimed that it is defensive and not aimed at any country.

China and South Korea agreed to normalize bilateral relations at the end of last month, officially ending the THAAD dispute. While Beijing’s economic coercion based on nationalism in the THAAD standoff seems worrying from the standpoint of a foreign observer, this is an isolated event and is unlikely to be repeated often.

The objections to THAAD are misguided. The more antiballistic missile systems the world has, the safer it will be.

Beijing and Washington do not want Iran or North Korea to possess nuclear weapons, test ballistic missiles, or engage in WMD proliferation. Despite their overlapping positions, the differences between the Trump and Xi administrations regarding these issues have been growing. Confidence-building and stability-enhancing measures could narrow these differences.

As the US policy strategy has failed in the Korean Peninsula, ominous scenarios cast a shadow over the region - and the chance for peace.

Trump imagines that he can use trade threats against China as “bargaining chips” to secure its help in dealing with North Korea. If so, he is on the wrong track. The U.S. and South Korea should be prepared to pause the deployment of THAAD (the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system) as a short-term gesture in return for China enacting and enforcing full sanctions.

Achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula should be the priority. The major concerns of all parties regarding national security should be understood, and an equilibrium point should be sought regarding security. Effectively managing concerns regarding THAAD is necessary to solve this difficult problem.

US President Donald Trump’s signature Asia policy – his pledge to stop North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons – should be a clear-cut example of American military resolve. Unfortunately for the region, it has proved to be anything but that.

Moon needs practical and operational measurements and outcomes, as well as ambition and determination to tackle the challenges of inter-Korean relations. And yes, there surely are opportunities and advantages for the South Korea to take. But the government has to be very careful to turn them into positive forces, so that a revival of “Sunshine” isn’t weakened to mere “Moonlight” as the pessimists have predicted.