Beyond Trade: Geo-economics as the New Framework of Global Power Politics
Journal: International Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities
Year: 2026

The structure of global power in the twenty-first century is increasingly shaped not by military conflicts but by the strategic use of economic interdependence. Geo-economics—defined as the intentional use of economic tools to achieve geopolitical aims—has become the primary method of statecraft. This paper argues that tools such as trade policies, sanctions, technology controls, and infrastructure investments are no longer neutral market operations but act as instruments of coercion, deterrence