The advent of the 21st century has seen a shift from uni polarity to multi polarity, mainly due to China's rise. Chinese ambitions are aligned and expansive, which are driven by nationalism, economic uplift and military modernization. China is evolving as a major powerhouse of the current world order. Trade,economic reforms, up gradation of the military, appealing to the masses through its culture and peaceful settlement of disputes are Chinese means for shaping new world order. America's decreasing sphere of influence in multilateral agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Iran Nuclear deal is proving windows of opportunities for rising powers like China. China aims to strengthen its position in the international system.

The Indian Ocean has gradually emerged as a significant region in terms of the economic and geopolitical patterns of the world powers. In the contemporary power struggles, it has become a most important contesting ground for global dominance. This research analyses the Geo strategic significance of the Indian Ocean and the interests of regional and great powers in it. The study is particularly focusing on two sub-regions of the Indian Ocean (IO) (Arabian Gulf and South Asia) and is mainly probing the strategic competition between New Delhi and Islamabad in these areas. And the structural enforcement these South Asian countries are receiving from Washington and Beijing. Active engagements of great powers in the said regions also highlight the global dynamic of strategic competition IO. The research concludes that different strategies adopted by regional and global powers to increase their sphere of influence in IOR are consequently enhancing strategic dilemma and initiating arms race between regional powers and that any mishandling can easily ends up in a war, which may not be an ordinary one because all the states focused in the current study are nuclear capable.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, US interests in the newly independent states of Central Asia were somewhat limited. However, with new developments, the region strategically became important for the US. The main reasons are the energy resources of Central Asia, the region's strategic geographical location, US involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and post NATO/US army exit situation in the region and Afghanistan and the threat of reemergence of Taliban. It seems that the US followed a policy of democracy,human rights, the rule of law and development but at the same time had military bases in CARs to keep an eye over Afghanistan and neighboring regions. However, there is a shift in regional dynamics, which will not allow the US to keep its hold over the region. This research work divided the US policy in the Central Asian region into different periods, which are the post-Soviet era, post 9/11, post-2014 and post-US army exit from Afghanistan 2021.

It has been three decades when five states of Central Asian region acquired their independence from former Soviet Union. Since 1991 Central Asian states are engaged in state and nation building process. These states in-order to be the part of world community are working on their national identities, democratic system and relations with other states. This article tries to examine the progress of central Asian states in the domain of building of national identity, democracy and foreign policy. It has been argued that all Central Asian states are making progress in national identity and foreign policy domain; however, democracy has yet to be developed in the region.