On the other hand, global powers are in a much better position than middle and small-sized powers to ground their foreign policies on the basis of both tangible interests and intangible values. The immense material power capabilities at their disposal empower them in their attempts at shaping the external milieu, rather than merely responding to external stimuli in a reactionary manner. That is also to say that adopting a soft-power oriented foreign policy approach is likely to be the prerogative of strong global powers. Investing in value projection abroad and relying on ‘power of attraction’ in dealing with others indirectly require a good deal of hard power capability. Global powers do not only feel secure in terms of their territorial integrity but also find it easy to parley their immense material power capabilities to value-oriented transformative policies abroad.

Unlike some middle powers and many small-sized powers, global powers have the luxury of helping bring into existence a particular external environment to their liking, as well as making use of the existing power balances within the system to maximize their material power capabilities. Stated somewhat differently, global powers do not only aim at maximizing their power capabilities at the expense of their rivals but also endeavor to midwife a particular external environment that reflects their values and norms (Mearsheimer, 2003).