How can geoeconomic rivalry be analysed using the strategic choice approach?

Authors:

  • Peter Wikman
  • Evelina Bonnier

Publish date: 2021-12-02

Report number: FOI-R--5214--SE

Pages: 41

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • geoeconomics
  • economic statecraft
  • foreign policy
  • security policy
  • strategic choice approach
  • game theory

Abstract

The aim of this report is to present a framework for analyses of governmental influence attempts using economic means, a phenomenon often referred to as geoeconomics. As the economies of the world have become more interconnected and new, often asymmetric, dependencies have emerged, the possibility of geoeconomic influence attempts has increased. Since this type of interactions is strategic in the sense that the ability of one state to accomplish its goals depends on the actions of other states and actors, we propose that the strategic choice approach is used for analysing geoeconomic influence attempts. In the report, we discuss how geoeconomics can be defined and how it can be operationalised using the strategic choice approach.