India, Aug. 26 -- As they have in the past, India-China relations are once again improving. There is a pattern here. Conflict, tension and freeze are followed by thaw, engagement and a degree of warmth. However, the latest round of reset in Delhi-Beijing ties is also guided by the fact that the US is ceding Asia's geopolitical space to China. This is leading to a dramatic rise in China's profile. And it is compelling America's allies and partners to mend relations with Beijing, despite misgivings.

Nearly eight months after President Donald Trump took office, there is no clarity about his administration's policy vis-a-vis China's growing power and influence across Asia and the Indo-Pacific. If one follows Trump's brief, intermittent remar...