US-East Asia ties may be fraying as China rises

Tokyo

CRACKS appear to be opening up in US-East Asia relations, and with them is the possibility of a "melt" in intra-regional relationships that have been locked for decades into a kind of undeclared Cold War. The political and economic consequences of this thaw could be far-reaching.

One triggering factor has been the controversial "triangular diplomacy" (with method in its apparent madness) practised by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during his recent swing through China and Japan. That threatened to destabilise Washington-Manila relations.