The early political manoeuverings of the 21st century have been defined by an increasing conflict between Russia, China and the United States. The US has, of course, been the dominant power of the 20th century, and has been the largest economy on the planet for several decades. The unrivalled position of the United States as a world power has often led to the 20th century being described as the American century. Russia US But while it is too early to assess the 21st century as inevitably being the Chinese century, it is nonetheless largely expected by economists and geopolitical analysts that the East Asian economic powerhouse will play a more prominent role in world affairs during the existing 100 year period. Russia, China push for global power With this in mind, both Russia and China have already pushed for greater inclusion in global economic institutions. The existing economic structure has governed the world in the post-Second World War period, particularly since the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944. The Bretton Woods Agreement was developed at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, from July 1 to July 22, 1944, and unquestionably paved the way for the United States’ global supremacy. The Breton Woods Agreement led to the establishment of numerous global economic institutions, and these have been governed by an Anglo-American consensus ever since. It is notable that persons attending major global economic events and institutions have been almost entirely comprised from Europe and North America throughout this period. This has led to accusations from the increasingly bullish and prominent Chinese government and society that the East Asian nation is disproportionately represented in the global economic system. Certainly this is not a viewpoint shared by the existing hierarchy of the United States, and Chinese and Russian representation in most major global institutions remains... More