If we can only envision guns and bombs when we think about war, then it indicates merely a failure of our own imagination. Make no mistake: There are wars for geopolitical dominance taking place between various players around the globe right now, and it's all happening without a shot being fired or a soldier on the battlefield.

If we can only envision guns and bombs when we think about war, then it indicates merely a failure of our own imagination. Make no mistake: There are wars for geopolitical dominance taking place between various players around the globe right now, and it's all happening without a shot being fired or a soldier on the battlefield.

For an example of this we need look no further than Asia, where there is a strange game of one-upsmanship taking place between bitter frenemies China and India, clear rivals for regional economic dominance who happen to also be buddy-buddy in the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multi-lateral bodies.

No, I'm not talking about the dramatic border skirmishes currently taking place between Indian and Chinese troops. That's the old, guns-and-bombs type of conflict that gets all the press. I'm talking about something much more subtle, much less headline-grabbing and, potentially, much more important for the future of the region, and, ultimately, the world.

Exhibit A: "Chinese-built mega railway begins construction in Malaysia"

Exhibit B: "India Builds Highway to Thailand to Counter China's Silk Road"

Taken at face value, these are hardly the "stop the presses" headlines that set the public's imagination on fire. But let's look a little closer.

Regarding the Malaysian railway story, this is no ordinary train track. Dubbed the "East Coast Rail Link" (ECRL), the project will span 688 kilometers and act as the first railway artery connecting the country's east and west coasts. It will cut the travel time from the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur to the northeastern state of Kelantan almost in half. Chinese state firms will be both building the railway and footing the bill (a cool $13 billion).

So why is China constructing a railway in Malaysia, anyway? What's in it for the Chinese? Well, as China Daily explains, quoting Chinese State Councillor Wang Yong who attended the project's official launch: "China is willing to work closely with the Malaysian side and build the rail link into another landmark project so as to benefit the Malaysian people as soon as possible and help realize regional development and prosperity." Wishy-washy feel-good political propaganda? Undoubtedly. But nonetheless true, as far as such official statements go.