Both can be true at the same time ....

Note the word: coordinating.

This presupposes a plan, or at least a desired state of being. "When you do this, I will do that to do what?", but to achieve what?

Putin, Xi, Trump are all deeply into loving their own country, despising what it had become, and feel the need to return it to, in their view, a better position and trajectory of development. Here, certain interest overlap.

3 words: Sovereign Nation States.

This does not negate the IDEA of international rules based system, but it requires redefinition, as the current definition is steeped in Deep State rules for thee but not for me. It becomes apparent, when listening and tracking the labels, or container words, buzz words, the Deep State and their puppets use, that you are witnessing the roll-out of a cult. All the elements of a cult are there.

TTIP was just another ploy to elevate companies to the level above the countries. When Obama failed at that, the 4th industrial Revolution came on the scene. Lockstep was just another part of that push for that Industrial Revolution.

With this in mind, let's explore the boundaries of this "coordinating". It requires all three to know of the other where they really stand on certain matters. Every country has a deep state, and every country has to deal with it in a way that is befitting that country.

There is no common plan on what freedom, or government means. It simply means that the object of Sovereign Nation States has to be restored. Every country can then consider what kind of government is best at that time.

In terms of interests, these may differ hugely. A resource based economy is different from a manufacturing based economy, is different from a service economy, etc. Here, there are common interests and diverging interests.

Because of this, Trump could simply target the CCP. Token resistance ensues but that is what it is. In effect, by doing so, it weakens the Zang Jiamin faction of the party and increases Xi' s power. With the overpumped housing market in China, vs the overblown debt market in the US, it is easy to see how both currencies are tied on the road to oblivion.

With thousands of points of interests, timing becomes paramount. And timing presupposes coordination.

The interests of several countries are concurrent, sometimes in opposition, sometimes in juxtaposition. And the countries can work together voluntarily with mutual beneficial yields. It does not mean being enemies, it means being competitors.

With 200 odd Sovereign Nation States, there is enough competition going on to provide a healthier work environment than the unipolar behomoth called monopoly can muster.

And with any monopoly: the quality and quantity of goods and services always deteriorates and the price increases.

Come to think of it: that is exactly where we are, is it not?

But eventually, a monopoly will destroy itself when no longer it can offset its stupidity with the infusion of stimulae: like big corporation taking in new developments by buying it, the unipolar behomoth is out of fresh recruits ....