The fracture of the global rules-based order, as epitomised by the United States-China trade spat, comes as existing norms have not evolved fast enough to meet new challenges or cover new areas, panellists said at a forum in Tokyo yesterday.

Singapore’s veteran diplomat Ong Keng Yong said that Asia does not want a bipolar battle. He said: “said: “Whether to maintain the world order or to change it, we need rules, good legal structures, understanding, and a consensus to change or improve.”