MAP VIII: America had clearly emerged as the complete ‘Cold War’ victor by 1991. Ground down by the Mujahideen guerilla fighters financed by Saudia Arabia and the USA and forced to flee Afghanistan and lacking the resources to sustain a large naval base and fleet at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, the Soviet presence was eradicated in both countries. Also in 1991 Cambodia effectively surrendered when the ruling Communist Party abolished itself and rang up the United Nations to ask for its help in setting up western style governmental institutions. China ceased to support the Burma Communist Party in 1988 which opened up the way for that country to enter the Chinese orbit of influence along with North Korea; the map thus illustrates the new battle for hegemony in Asia though one which may be muted by the symbiotic trading relationship between China and the US.