Even as multiple crises on the global front challenge U.S. diplomacy, Washington has not lost sight of Asia. U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines last month was a signal that despite questions about America's staying power in the region, Washington has no intention of ceding its strategic space.

Giving a strong rebuttal to those who have been questioning America's commitment to Japan, Obama declared that "America is and always will be a Pacific nation," underscoring clearly that "the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall within the scope of Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security."

The China factor is all around, and the Obama administration is trying its best to get its act together in Asia after making a number of false starts.