Editor's note: Azhar Azam works in a private organization as a market and business analyst and writes about geopolitical issues and regional conflicts. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Before their appointment as an Indo-Pacific coordinator and China director at the National Security Council by U.S. President Joe Biden respectively, Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi, in a co-authored article for Foreign Affairs, admitted buy-in from China had played a vital role in region's success and it will remain important in the years to come.

In a year of devastation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, China imported 6.6 percent more goods from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations whereas its purchases from Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) were stable. The increased Chinese imports would set the launch pad for a further strengthened bilateral trade relationship between Beijing and regional countries.

Soliciting Washington to work on advancing balance of power and a legitimate regional order, Campbell and Doshi argued the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy should be based on "an allied and partner coalition to address China's challenge to both." In a veiled reference to the U.S. belief it can mold China through "power and hegemony" to its liking, they urged America should leave its hegemonic attitude and "nineteenth-century spheres of influence."

However the regional order, their plan to contain China may encounter some barriers. First, America has frayed or rusted alliances with countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, making the former difficult to build a united front against China. Second, an increasing number of countries there have shown tendency to cooperate instead of confronting Beijing.

They proposed the U.S. might focus on military deterrence by expanding the Quad. But as members of the four-nation group have diverse economic and geopolitical interests and "historical vulnerabilities" – the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, with Japan and ROK to benefit the most, additionally complicates the plan to check China's growth and influence in the Asia Pacific by developing a "mini NATO."

Even the two diplomats in the Biden administration are convinced that collectively designing penalties "if China decides to take steps that threaten the large order" won't work as Beijing's strength increases, while military and material balance alone will not guarantee a "renewed regional order."

Biden's picks for the Pacific and China touted that preservation of the system's balance and legitimacy would therefore require strong coalitions of both allies and partners and "a degree of acquiescence and acceptance" from Beijing. Before China's assent to the U.S. unilateral approach, America would need to reclaim its credibility after Trump ripped off the trust of regional nations by renegotiating cost-sharing agreements and cancelling the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

While the European Union has been cold shouldering Biden's unified transatlantic approach by completing investment agreement negotiations with China, the U.S. should directly engage Beijing for restoration of bilateral diplomatic and trade relations between the two leading economies rather than pursuing "bespoke or ad hoc bodies" or expanding the Quad against China.

Over the last four years, the most crucial bilateral relationship in the world has been ruffled by Trump's brash China policy that indiscriminately targeted Chinese companies, diplomats, journalists, students and scholars. His Cold War mentality and ideological bias was fueled by some of the other China hawks in his administration.

Calling for a reset in China-U.S. ties, the U.S. experts have called on the Biden administration to take up the opportunity to bring the relationship back on track, disagreeing that Beijing wants to overthrow the established international economic order and emphasizing both countries have much to gain from their economic interdependence.

Dr. David Russell, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Obama administration saw Biden as a "last minute reprieve" for America-China ties. Warning the U.S. cannot "afford to mishandle or waste the opportunity," he pressed both sides to deal with fundamental disagreements other than cooperation on public health issues, climate change and counter-proliferation.

A direct engagement with Beijing and the expanded scope of cooperation between China and the U.S. – while finding common ground for mutual interests, instead of building an artificial alliance in Asia Pacific or other parts of the world – could bring stability in the bilateral relationship and would contribute to peace in the region and reduce risk of a much less stable world.

China has established itself as a great international power by adapting to the market-driven global economy. Beijing is so deeply integrated into the world trading system due to the enormous buying capacity that any break in Chinese growth would drastically slice global exports, close factories, trigger dearth of employment and jolt the international financial markets.

Last week, the U.S. Secretary of State said "the most important [China-U.S.] relationship" has some competitive and cooperative aspects. As he favored cooperation with China on climate change and other shared concerns, it is in the interest of the U.S. that the competition between the two superpowers does not evolve into outright conflict.

Beijing's significance in the global economy, America's domestic challenges and the common international threats require China and the U.S. to enter in a frank and open dialogue with each other. 

Biden vows to confront China but lacks enough strength – "much of which has been lost" – to compete with Beijing. Although the U.S. president called China the "most serious competitor" and pledged to give it an "extreme competition," he is willing to work with China and doesn't want the new relationship to be plagued with conflict.

The trash of Trump's truculent term cannot be laundered quickly. It may perhaps eat up Biden's whole tenure to rebuild the U.S. at home and regain American credibility and moral authority internationally, given the U.S. president learns from the past and takes the right move at the right time. 

As the prior administration's strategy to exploit the Quad and use the Asia Pacific against China produced unintended consequences for the U.S., Biden should return to traditional diplomacy and engage China directly to resolve bilateral disputes.

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