Hegemon state, international system and rising powers

The economic, technological and military development of China has led to debates that China has risen as a revisionist force which challenges the current global order. It is also claimed that the use of the superior power of the USA to maintain the liberal order has weakened the existing order. This study aims to determine the effects of a hegemon not adhering to the established order in the face of rising powers in the international system. The study reviews system theories, basic power models and the literature on the liberal theory and aims to uncover the necessary conditions to change the established hegemony and order. Thereafter, rising powers' revisionist character is explored in terms of soft and hard power capabilities. The results indicate that there is no revisionist rising power having the conditions established by power transition theory and force activation model and that the hegemon can choose either the "rule through relationships" or "rule through rules" strategies of governance or other imperial tools of control by taking into account environment, legitimacy, and costs. The analysis also reveals that the frequent use of coercion damages the soft power of the hegemon and the liberal order. Since soft power is a relatively new concept in the discipline of International Relations, further research is needed to improve measurement methodology.