Does the United States want to share the world with China, where Washington concentrates on the Americas and the Western Hemisphere, while Beijing focuses on Asia? Asian countries don’t want to be “sold out” by America to China, and moreover, a US withdrawal, even if partial, from Asia would increase regional and global tensions. Sisci: It’s a very fragile and unpredictable situation, especially if America pulls back in Asia to favor China. The Philippines has shifted in recent years toward either China or the United States. But even with all its complexity, this dialogue still remains easier than slipping into an arms race in Asia without the United States.