At the end of 2017, the United States announced in its National Security Strategy, that it would respond firmly to rogue states and rivals to the United States' institutions and its values. In particular, China, Russia, and North Korea were identified as threats to the national interests of the US and it was revealed the US would respond to security threats by strengthening security cooperation with its East Asian regional allies, South Korea and Japan, and other states in the Indo-Pacific region. Despite these rivalries, globalization may be fostering increased interdependence between countries that historically have been divided by competing geopolitical interests and contrasting ideologies, whether the liberal values of open, democratic societies or the authoritarian traditions of former and current socialist/communist powers. In this context, what are the strategic choices for key actors in Northeast Asia, both past, present, and emerging great powers and smaller, “middle powers”; how, if at all, can harmony and trust be encouraged between these states?