China’s Role in the Emerging World Order

Strategic Visions and U.S. Responses during the Second Trump Presidency

doi: 10.32563/hsz.2025.2.11

Abstract

A key aspect of the competition between China and the United States is the deep ideological divide between the two nations, which stems partly from their different worldviews. This article focuses on China's role in the emerging new world order, with particular attention to the world order theories most commonly discussed in the literature. By comparing the Tianxia philosophy with the American Just War theory in today’s politics, the study explores possible points of conflict in the visions of the two superpowers. The paper concludes that the America First policy of the Trump administration is likely to further sharpen the conflicts of interest, while not necessarily providing adequate responses to the challenges posed by China.

Keywords:

China United States world order hegemony tianxia ideological divide

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