From Integration to Revision: China s Trajectory in the Liberal World Order

This research examines China's evolving role in the post-World War II Liberal International Order. China's trajectory, from a founding UN member to a formidable challenger to the U.S.-led liberal hegemonic order, is analyzed against the backdrop of its ascent as the world's secondlargest economy and a military powerhouse. The paper explores China's discontent with liberal order institutions, including the G7 and IMF, and its objections to U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific. China's revisionist stance involves engagement in established institutions alongside the creation of alternative structures like the Belt and Road Initiative. Historical contexts, from Maoist isolationism to Deng Xiaoping's reforms, shape China's contemporary foreign policy. The study delves into China's financial integration, highlighting dissatisfaction and the establishment of its financial organizations. President Xi Jinping's leadership and China's vision for global governance reform underscore its quest for influence. In particular, the study examines how the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan created strategic openings for China to deepen its regional influence and economic presence, notably through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and resource investment opportunities. Additionally, the war in Ukraine is analyzed as a geopolitical inflection point that accelerated China's calls for multipolarity and strengthened its strategic alignment with Russia, positioning both states as counterweights to U.S.-led liberal norms. Together, these geopolitical shifts serve as catalysts for China’s redefinition of global governance norms, reinforcing its challenge to the liberal international order and its promotion of a more multipolar world system.