Unless the U.S. adopts a stronger policy to contain Chinese expansionism there, the widely shared vision of a free, open, and democratic-led Indo-Pacific will give way to an illiberal, repressive regional order.

The main lesson for Japan from the Trump-Kim summit is that instead of relying on Washington it must directly engage North Korea.

Trump's aggressive unilateralism poses a diplomatic test for Japan and other democracies.

Trump's "America First" strategy and Xi's "Chinese dream" are founded on a common premise: that the world's two biggest powers can act in their own interest with impunity.

At a time when even U.S. allies are finding it difficult to rely on an unpredictable and capricious Trump administration, Kim's strategy will likely seek to safeguard his nuclear "crown jewels" for the time being.

Japanese and Indian efforts to improve relations with Beijing work to China's advantage

U.S. and South Korean negotiators should seek to secure a nuclear-weapons-free zone on the Korean Peninsula.

The energy sector's depletion of water resources is another major contributor to climate change.

To thwart China's further designs in the South China Sea and its attempts to change the maritime status quo in the Indian Ocean and the East China Sea, a constellation of democratic states linked by interlocking strategic cooperation is needed.

China's strategic advantages in the Indo-Pacific region could become entrenched if other powers do not step in to counter further challenges to the territorial and maritime status quo.