The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

Figure 2-1. Structure of International Relations.
There is peace and stability as long as the dominant
nation and its powerful allies maintain firm control of
the international order of this system (the political,
economic, and security institutions and rules of conduct).
3 However, international relations are always in
flux, so is great power status due to changes in national
power. Challenge to the system will emerge if one
or a few of the second-ranked big nations that are also
dissatisfied with the existing international order experience
significant increase in their national power.
This occurred in the industrial age through industrialization.
With their newfound power, rising nations
typically make efforts to alter the international order
to better serve their interests.
Robert Gilpin adds to this line of thought with his
classic work, War and Change in World Politics, in which
he states that the expanding nations’ efforts necessarily
bring them to confront the dominant nation and its
allies about the rules governing the existing international
system, the division of the spheres of influence,
6