Big Ideas

Who killed the liberal international order (and what comes next)?

Oct 14, 2025
Andrew Phillips, a Professor at the University of Queensland and author of several influential books, discusses the decline of the liberal international order. He highlights the rise in global conflict and power rivalries, arguing that democracy is on the retreat. Phillips evaluates the roles of authoritarian powers like China and Russia, as well as the impact of U.S. policies under Trump. He predicts that the 1990s model won’t be revived and explores potential futures for international relations, including a Chinese-centric order or a pluralistic approach driven by emerging democracies.
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INSIGHT

China's A La Carte Revisionism

  • China uses 'a la carte revisionism': it strengthens parts of the system it benefits from while building parallel institutions.
  • Beijing prefers gradual, dual strategies like Belt and Road and AIIB rather than outright overthrow.
INSIGHT

Russia As A Super Spoiler

  • Russia acts chiefly as a spoiler using coercion, influence operations, and information warfare to weaken Western cohesion.
  • Moscow leverages asymmetric tools to chip away at unity rather than build global alternatives.
INSIGHT

US Power, But Waning Commitment

  • The US remains materially powerful, so 'hegemonic abdication' is not the full explanation for decline.
  • Domestic political shifts and episodic administrations, notably Trump's, have weakened commitment to alliance governance.
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