The Age of Ambiguity: US, China, and the Global Order in Crisis

As in previous periods of historical rupture, today, the world is in a state of global interregnum, a time of uncertainty in which the old ...

As in previous periods of historical rupture, today, the world is in a state of global interregnum, a time of uncertainty in which the old order fades without a new one clearly emerging to take its place.

The established concepts of the old order, such as the “liberal international order” or the “rules-based system,” are becoming empty phrases, while a new dual structure emerges at the center of the narrative:

One is the United States, which still acts as the owner of global will with its lingering hegemonic instincts.

The other is China, which quietly and patiently tries to overshadow this will.

This new competition is not merely a military or economic contest of strength; it is also a battle of narratives over the meaning of order.

For it is no longer just global leadership that is up for debate, but the very concept of “what leadership is.” A deeper existential global order crisis is underway.

Which order is legitimate?

What constitutes security in an interconnected yet fragmented world?

Which model of development is the most humane and sustainable?

As both sides assert the universal validity of their visions, the historical experiences and political values upon which these claims are based clashed. Complex uncertainties emerge in the minds of the international community.

In the shadow of these questions, a deeper, existential crisis of the global order is underway.

Unnamed, but palpable instability.

The world is caught in a space where neither war nor peace materializes.

Everyone knows that a transformation is taking place; however, no one can predict exactly where we are headed.

This situation blurs the nature of interstate relations and makes diplomatic initiatives unpredictable.

As economic sanctions and mutual dependencies intertwine, polarization increases on the one hand, while efforts to cooperate against common threats remain limited and contradictory.

This ambiguity has emerged as a defining characteristic of our ages.

Neither the existing hegemon nor any alternative—or even restorative—vision of order has managed to establish full dominance.

Power persists, but it lacks direction and legitimacy

As alliances and rivalries between states become increasingly temporary and pragmatic, geopolitical decisions become based on short-term calculations.

Interest-driven pragmatism, which has replaced ideologies and values, has further increased the unpredictability of international politics.

The global interregnum is not merely a transitional period but also an age of uncertainty in which meaning, direction, and norms are suspended.

In this age, the greatest threat not so much a power vacuum as a vacuum of legitimacy.

Today's world is caught between the birth pangs of a new order and the chaos created by the collapse of an old one.

In this climate of uncertainty, states as well as societies are floundering insecurity and feeling deep anxiety about the future.

Therefore, what will bring an end to the global interregnum will not be the rise of a new hegemon but rather the development of a common understanding and vision of how to resolve the crisis of meaning and legitimacy.

This seems to be the only solution, other than a major war.

As Antonio Gramsci put it, “The old world is dying, and the new world is struggling to be born. It is a time of monsters.”

The global stage is now set for the turbulent birth of a new ordershadowed by a growing void of meaning. We are witnessing the disintegration of norms, ascent of authoritarianism, and fading of shared truths.