WASHINGTON - As President Joe Biden's Cabinet gets to work, the signals on foreign policy are clear enough: the United States is here to stay in Asia and and is unlikely to have any change of heart on China - the competition that overshadows all other issues in Asia.

Mr Biden's promise in his inaugural address that the US would repair its alliances and re-engage with the world and the forceful statements on China by key members of his Cabinet during their confirmation hearings have raised questions about which aspects of Trump-era policies the new administration will roll back or retain.