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One state that should be part of Washington's strategy has been conspicuous by the absence of any reference to a possible role for it in that emerging multilateral architecture. That is Taiwan. The lack of mention of the longstanding U.S. ally in the region is no accident; rather, it's a calculated effort on Washington’s part to avoid making its 'return' to Asia too controversial in Beijing, which already regards the pivot as the latest in a long list of exercises in containment.