Our goal, therefore, must be to forge an Asian security order robust enough to withstand tremors originating in China. First, it must be one understood and supported by the American people. The administration must be candid about every aspect of the policy, from the good things, such as releases of prisoners and mutually advantageous trade, to the problems, such as espionage, military development, repression, and so forth. Second, the policy must begin with our allies and friends, not with Beijing. We must adopt a positive policy, developed through extensive preliminary consultation with other interested states.
Symbolic actions are important here.
Taiwan, after all, took the brave action of releasing political prisoners and allowing the exiles to return at a time when it had almost no international status. Korea and the Philippines have shown the path to Asian democracy. China, which is far stronger, has shied away from any similar action. Not any of the democratizers. Finally, as for power relationships, among the crucial ones are Japan United States and Japan-Korea.