This book was written during the Covid years. It focuses on the role of China and the US in Northeast Asia and South Asia and examines their traditional policies and the shape they had taken under Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The aggressive approaches of these two leaders resulted in a lot of strain on the fabric of the delicate and balanced relationships in the regions. The book also asks if there is any role for India as a middle power in the emerging dynamics in these regions in order to develop a multipolar alternative. It concludes that the countries which are caught up in the frictions between the US and China will try to find alternative structures that address their specific concerns. Author Vyjayanti Raghavan taught Korean Studies, Language and Culture at the Centre for Korean Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, until 2022, when she retired. She has previously co-authored several books, including two on South Asia and Northeast Asia. She has also published several research articles. She is the recipient of the South Korean (ROK) Prime Minister’s Award in 2015 for distinguished service. She is currently an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute for China Studies, New Delhi, and the Book Review Editor for the Institute’s Journal. She is also on the Advisory Board of the Kim Dae Jung Foundation, Seoul.