Purpose of the study: Besides analyzing multilateral fora and their importance for China’s ‘Asia Dream,’ this study celaborates on the strategic sources of China’s behavior in the Asia-Pacific and beyond and the strategic initiatives that it has taken to preserve and expand its influence. Methodology: This is a qualitative explanatory case study. The research is conducted using an embedded case study in which phenomena under investigation are analyzed at the individual, state, and system levels. Primary data in the form of speeches (mostly of President Xi Jinping) and white papers issued by the Chinese government are used. Main Findings: China’s contemporary behavior has not only made its foreign policy vital for the pursuance of its interests but has also been gauged by the regional states with a mix of skepticism and opportunism. On the one hand, China’s assertiveness is perceived as a threat by the regional and some extra-regional states, forcing them to pursue balancing and/or hedging strategies. On the other, they have capitalized upon Chinese-led multilateral initiatives to strengthen themselves by bringing their economies in alignment with that of China. The study deliberates the historical traditions of Tianxia and Neo-Confucianism and their impact on contemporary Chinese strategic thinking. The study finds that China's strategic behavior under President Xi Jinping has metamorphosed into an admix of assertiveness and benevolence carefully crafted to pursue its core interests – an aspiring benevolent ‘regional’ hegemon. Applications of this study: The study is useful for the students, scholars, and policy practitioners of International Relations and Area Studies, specifically those involved with China and the Asia Pacific. Novelty/Originality of this study: China has been accused of pursuing hegemonistic designs in the region and beyond. This study dissects this discourse while seeing whether those who are generating the discourse are benefitting from China’s overtures or not.

The constitutional system in the United States of America has maintained a systematic balance between its federal character, separation of powers and distribution of autonomy.The power of the Center over component and subordinated institutions has been ensured through a combination of the constitutional system as well as a bipartite political system. Ironically, the bipartite system's one weakness is the limitation of choice for the electorates to two candidates.In addition, the growing influence of corporate elites' exercises influences the process of elections as well as the decision-making and legislation.This study critically examines these contradictions and presents analysis of the transformation in the social contract.

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This article examines the pattern where China’s growing global economic influence in post-9/11 era has been complimented with the gradual and sustained rise of its monetary cooperation, competition as well as conflicts with United State of America (USA). While chronicling the Neoliberal and advanced capitalist arguments regarding the current international economic order and financial infrastructure led by the USA; this article refines the focuses on the global monetary system and the role of monetary coercion and builds a critical approach by engaging with Realist, Leftist-Marxist and antiimperialist theorisations with the objective to analyse the nature of cooperation and confrontation between the two states. The methodology employed is qualitative and interpretive supported with analysis of empirical data to substantiate the theoretical claims. It is argued that the rise of Chinese currency is related to these oft-recurring financial trends, which lie at the core of USA’s global economic system and the related global financial conflicts have the potential to fundamentally transform the global economic order. The paper concludes that China’s internationalisation of its currency is likely to intensify its confrontation with US with the potential for international conflict.

Russia under Vladimir Putin’s leadership has assumed a personalised character which has drastically transformed its domestic and defence policy as well as its global grand strategy. The main contour of the grand strategy is a strategic rebalancing in the places of its influence including its near abroad and its area of interest including Asia, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Putin’s leadership and psychological orientation have a fundamental role in the materialisation of this transformation and the study of this factor serves as a lens to explain Russia’s resurgence and also provides a guide to Russia’s future foreign policy. One of the significant aspects of the strategic rebalancing is Russia’s increasing influence in South Asia and the projects of building transport and trade corridor. While China remains another significant powerful player with similar geostrategic and geoeconomic plans; states such as Pakistan foresee great challenges as well as opportunities which emerge as a result of the increasing influence of Russia and China in the region and the lingering dissonance in Pakistan’s relations with the United States of America.