As the United States experiences a relative decline in its power and intensifying domestic issues, its military presence and strategic investments around the world are contracting. “After the retreat of maritime hegemony, beaches and wetlands of all sizes have emerged.” A vast “new middle ground” is taking shape. In these regions, the order once upheld by hegemony through force has begun to loosen and crack, while some medium-sized countries have become more active. On one hand, they are proactively leading and advancing new regional integration agendas; on the other hand, they are reviving or accelerating the exploration of modernization paths based on their own cultural traditions. In the future, we will face a more multipolar and uncertain world.