Power Transition And Liberal Order: Rethinking America’s "Pivot" To Asia

The rise of emerging powers, especially China, coupled with the relative declineof the United States, has caused changes in the current international system. Now thatthe U.S., a dominant power, feels that its global dominance is challenged by China, arising challenger, it is acting to restore the equilibrium by rebalancing resources tomatch its commitments. These responses take the specific form of “pivot” to Asia.The “pivot” contains different elements—security and political as well asdiplomatic and economic factors. Few existing literature can offer a satisfactoryexplanation to the “pivot”. After having discussed the types of changes in theinternational system, and analyzed the evolution of West-led open order, this thesisproposes that the “pivot” can be explained with a theoretical framework thatintegrates power transition and liberal order theory.Through qualitative study, this thesis discovers that the security and politicalelements of the “pivot” fit into power transition theory and the diplomatic andeconomic factors fit the description of liberal order. The thesis concludes that the“pivot” is a new U.S. strategy to maintain its global hegemony and safeguard itsnational interests. It contains elements of both change and continuity. The relativedecline of U.S. power, the rise of China as a regional power with global influence andthe redistribution of power in the international system are the underlying causes of the“pivot”...