Regional scholars weighed in on accelerating Sino-U.S. competition at a conference in Seoul this week, with several participants voicing optimism that the North Korea issue might prove to be an opportunity for constructive cooperation between Washington and Beijing.

At a recent virtual conference hosted by Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), scholars from throughout the Asia-Pacific discussed how Chinese and American interests will clash in coming years, and how regional stakeholders like the two Koreas might navigate the rivalry.

John Ikenberry, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University