Preface

Purpose and Motivation

Economic coercion has emerged as one of the defining features of 21st-century international relations. From sweeping sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine to export controls on advanced semiconductors to China, from the weaponization of the SWIFT financial messaging system to strategic dependencies in critical mineral supply chains, governments increasingly use economic tools to achieve foreign policy objectives that once required military force or diplomatic pressure alone.

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory, practice, and evolving landscape of economic coercion in an era of intensifying great power competition. It is designed for graduate students, policy practitioners, and anyone seeking to understand how economic interdependence—long celebrated as a force for peace and prosperity—has become simultaneously a source of leverage, vulnerability, and strategic contestation.

The book emerged from a recognition that existing treatments of economic statecraft often focus narrowly on sanctions, miss the technological dimension of modern economic competition, or fail to adequately incorporate non-Western perspectives, particularly China's strategic thinking about economic security and resilience. We aim to address these gaps by offering a framework that encompasses the full spectrum of economic coercion tools—from traditional trade measures to cutting-edge technology controls—while examining both American and Chinese approaches to geoeconomic competition.

Who This Book Is For

This textbook is written for multiple audiences:

Graduate Students in international relations, political economy, security studies, and related fields will find a systematic framework for analyzing economic coercion that integrates insights from international relations theory, economics, and strategic studies. Each chapter includes discussion questions, case studies, and exercises designed to deepen understanding and encourage critical thinking.

Policy Practitioners in government, think tanks, and the private sector will find practical analysis of how economic coercion tools actually work, their effectiveness under different conditions, and the strategic considerations that shape their use. The book draws extensively on recent policy developments, official documents, and real-world cases.

Business and Industry Leaders navigating an increasingly politicized global economy will gain insight into how geopolitical competition shapes technology export controls, investment screening, supply chain security, and industrial policy—all of which directly affect corporate strategy and risk management.

General Readers interested in understanding the economic dimensions of U.S.-China competition, the effectiveness of sanctions, or the future of globalization will find the book accessible while maintaining analytical rigor.

Organization and Structure

The book is organized into ten chapters that build progressively from foundational concepts to contemporary applications and future scenarios:

Part I: Foundations and Domains (Chapters 1-5)

Chapter 1 introduces the analytical framework that guides the entire book, defining economic coercion and examining it across four key dimensions: instruments and tools, objectives and goals, target characteristics, and effectiveness factors. This framework provides a systematic way to analyze any case of economic coercion.

Chapters 2-5 examine critical domains where economic coercion operates: global supply chains (semiconductors, critical minerals, rare earths), critical sectors (energy, food, infrastructure chokepoints), high-technology competition (AI, quantum computing, biotechnology), and the information and digital sphere (telecommunications networks, data governance, standards-setting).

Part II: Tools and Instruments (Chapters 6-8)

These chapters examine the specific tools governments use to exercise economic coercion. Chapter 6 covers trade controls including tariffs, quotas, and export controls. Chapter 7 addresses financial statecraft: sanctions, asset freezes, exclusion from payment systems, and central bank measures. Chapter 8 explores investment screening, industrial policy, and state-directed economic development as both defensive and offensive tools.

Part III: Learning and Looking Forward (Chapters 9-10)

Chapter 9 examines historical cases of economic coercion to extract lessons about what works, what doesn't, and why. Cases range from Cold War-era grain embargoes to contemporary sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Chapter 10 looks forward, considering how emerging technologies, climate change, and shifting power dynamics will shape the future of economic coercion and geoeconomic competition.

How to Use This Book

For Instructors:

Each chapter is designed to support 1-2 class sessions. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter range from conceptual understanding to policy analysis and current events application. The book's modular structure allows instructors to emphasize particular chapters based on course focus—for example, spending more time on financial sanctions (Chapter 7) in a course on international political economy, or on technology competition (Chapter 4) in a national security seminar.

The book pairs well with current policy documents, news articles, and academic papers. Recommended supplementary readings are suggested throughout. Case studies can be used for class simulations, debate exercises, or written assignments.

For Students:

Each chapter builds on previous material, so we recommend reading sequentially, especially Chapters 1-4 which establish core concepts and domains. Key terms are defined when first introduced and compiled in the glossary. "Chinese Perspective" boxes throughout the book provide non-Western viewpoints on economic security, self-reliance, and strategic competition.

Discussion questions are designed to encourage you to apply concepts to current events, connect theory to practice, and think critically about policy trade-offs. We strongly encourage engaging with recent news, policy announcements, and data sources cited in each chapter.

For Practitioners:

The book can be read selectively based on professional focus. Policymakers working on sanctions can focus on Chapters 1, 7, and 9. Those involved in export controls or technology policy will find Chapters 4 and 6 most relevant. Strategists thinking about long-term economic competition should prioritize Chapters 2, 8, and 10.

Each chapter's "Key Insights" section summarizes main takeaways. Data sources and references provide starting points for deeper research on specific topics.

A Note on Data, Visualizations, and Currency

This book includes 70+ original data visualizations covering trade flows, technology competition metrics, sanctions effectiveness, supply chain dependencies, and future scenarios. All visualizations are created from publicly available data sources, which are documented in each chapter's "Data Sources" section and in the companion data repository.

Given the rapidly evolving nature of economic coercion and geoeconomic competition, some statistics and policy details will inevitably become dated. We have made every effort to use data current through late 2024 and have designed the analytical framework to remain relevant even as specific policies and numbers change.

All dollar figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. When discussing Chinese economic policies and programs, we provide both English translations and original Chinese terms (in pinyin and characters) to facilitate engagement with Chinese-language sources and to respect the specific meanings these terms carry in Chinese strategic discourse.

Analytical Approach and Perspective

This book adopts several analytical commitments:

Theoretical Pluralism: We draw on multiple theoretical traditions—realism, liberalism, constructivism, and political economy—recognizing that economic coercion is a complex phenomenon that no single theory fully explains.

Evidence-Based Analysis: Claims about effectiveness, costs, and strategic dynamics are grounded in empirical evidence, quantitative data where available, and careful case study analysis.

Multiple Perspectives: While the book is written primarily from an American academic perspective, we make sustained efforts to incorporate Chinese, European, and Global South viewpoints on economic coercion, self-reliance, and the changing global economic order.

Policy-Relevant Theory: The book bridges academic analysis and policy practice, examining both the strategic logic of economic coercion and the practical constraints that shape its use.

Acknowledgments

This textbook draws on scholarship across multiple disciplines, policy documents from governments around the world, data from international organizations, and insights from practitioners working on these issues. While written as a single-author text, it reflects the collective knowledge and analysis of a much wider community of scholars and practitioners.

Special thanks are due to the many researchers, policy analysts, and economists whose work on sanctions effectiveness, supply chain vulnerabilities, technology competition, and geoeconomics informs every chapter. Any errors or omissions remain solely the responsibility of the author.

Looking Ahead

Economic coercion is not a passing phenomenon but a central feature of international politics in an era of renewed great power competition. Understanding how it works—and how it doesn't—is essential for anyone seeking to navigate the increasingly turbulent waters of 21st-century global affairs.

This book provides the tools to think systematically about economic coercion: its logic, its instruments, its effectiveness, and its future. Whether you are a student, practitioner, business leader, or engaged citizen, I hope it equips you to analyze these critical issues with rigor, nuance, and strategic insight.

---

Laurence Wilse-Samson Columbia School of International and Public Affairs November 2025