The Tianxia System: A Transcendence to the Liberal International Order

Abstract

The post-World War II Liberal International Order (LIO) promoted democracy, human rights, free trade, and a rules-based system. Yet it has been dominated by powerful countries, leading to limited representation and economic inequality in developing countries. In contrast, the Tianxia system is more inclusive. This study aims to make broader recommendations for addressing the confusion of the international system and the absence of global governance in the context of Sino-US competition. Using the method of comparative analysis, the Tianxia system and LIO are evaluated. The research shows that the Tianxia system surpasses the LIO to varying degrees in theory and practical experience, but it faces implementation challenges. This highlights the difficulty of a single country promoting the establishment of a world system. Therefore, the establishment of the Tianxia system is still incomplete, and more global forces are needed to jointly overcome the crisis of global governance.