US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Asian tour signalled that important shifts in US policy may soon take place.
Perhaps most intriguingly, she hinted that Washington's Myanmar policy, long cast in stone, is now open for debate.
Ruled by a brutal and inept junta, Myanmar is viewed as a pariah state by the US. Aid was cut two decades ago, when military forces crushed the '8-8-88' democracy demonstrations. Political contact was eliminated. Tough economic sanctions were gradually imposed.
By and large, though, the practical impact of US policy over all those years has been zero. The junta remains in control. Democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi languishes under house arrest. Minority ethnic groups are targeted, displaced and, in some instances, denied citizenship. The predatory state continues with business as usual.
As a result, the US is today looking for new ways forward on Myanmar. During her regional tour, Mrs Clinton freely acknowledged that US policy had failed. She also noted that constructive engagement promoted within Asia had not chalked up much success.
This new US openness finds echoes in the region. When protesting monks were beaten back by the army in September 2007, China spoke publicly of the Myanmar problem and called on the junta to listen to its people, learn from others and engage in dialogue and reform. Other Asian states are also increasingly bothered by the junta on their doorstep.
The time is thus ripe for action. But, to register real progress, and ensure that the junta is fully engaged, the US must reach out to the key external power, China, and think through the issue from its perspective. On the Myanmar problem, what would Beijing do?