From the introduction: The twenty-first century has seen the world change dramatically, with political and economic shifts progressing slowly but surely. The United States Of America, the dominant international military power at the start of the century, has begun to concentrate its efforts into its current sphere of influence, a more isolationist political agenda leaving former targets of economic and military intervention standing alone. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the People’s Republic Of China has pushed through numerous civil liberties, the current economic ‘boom’ giving the country’s leadership the power and resources they need for a more ambitious foreign policy.