In the context of growing populations and global warming, the challenges and problems brought about by the growth of new global actors have made ongoing power shifts regarding international cooperation a theme of high political relevance. One consequence of the 2008 financial crisis and its effects was bringing together interests that were surrounding hegemonic power. Emergent countries, also called Rising Powers, began to organize some meetings and agreements to review their position on the international order, looking to protect their economies and minimize losses from a potential collapse on the financial system. Yet, research on international political economy has demonstrated that the rising powers have benefitted from the US-led globalization and, although they are increasingly trying to insert their agenda in the multilateral forums, have shown little indications of seeking systemic change. Thus, following Richard Saull’s (2012) interpretation of hegemony, it is possible to argue in favour of a certain kind of continuity in the international system in spite of radical power shifts. Indeed, one crucial element in contemporary global political economy is the deep integration of China in the US led international liberal order. From this perspective, the rhetoric of political rivalry emphasized in US National Security Strategy - as much as the small-scale trade wars caused by the US can be seen as indications of assimilation problems on the part of the Hegemon instead of what has been feared, the onset of Age of Empires, Global Game of Thrones, or the return of state of nature. However, continuity of sui generis liberal world order would involve tremendous regional changes. This is related to the discussion of the American foreign policy agenda towards the “deep engagement” strategy to balance or counter the Rising Powers’ initiative. The lack of an inclusive, transnational, and global élites network as much as strong political authority on international level imply that the dissonance or gulf between markets and politics, that Strange pointed out in 1988, still exists. This implies that rivalries and conflict, instead of hegemonic stability in certain sense, might still prevail and bring to an attenuation of the current hegemon authoritative power within the current system. In this sense, the question to be posed is: what is the real role and evidences of a strategy of the Rising Powers at this point? The two dimensions of this dilemma that we wish to mention here is uneven development (Saull 2012) and fear of a possible dilution of the current liberal order with non-liberal political characteristics. Without stronger multilateral efforts to regulate both global markets and financial flows, global problems warming and unequal development are unlike to be remedied. This study seeks to conceptualize and evaluate hegemonic continuance with non-liberal characteristics, as they are embodied by some of the new emerging global actors like China and, to a lesser extent, BRICS and Global South agenda. The assimilation of non-liberal features would result in the endurance of the current hegemonic order and in the growth of shared responsibilities in the maintenance of the existing system.
