This chapter sets out a conceptual framework for understanding the context within which minilateralism—and especially its “strategic” variant—(re-)emerged. It styles this as a “nexus” between the advent of the “Indo-Pacific” construct, the commencement of “strategic competition”, and “minilateralism’s” rise to prominence within the region’s institutional architecture. It demonstrates the symbiotic nature of these ongoing developments, establishing the drivers behind strategic minilateralism, as the predominate manifestation of the more general trend. It then proceeds to identify the conceptual puzzle to be addressed within this book and the methodology employed.