Interdependence as dependence: Economic security in the age of global interconnectedness

The chapter looks at how the rapidly increasing global economic interconnectivity is emerging as both a national and an international security issue. It discusses the concept of interdependence, its asymmetric aspects and the way this entails sources of power in bargaining relationships between states as well as systemic risks. The risks include disruptions in global supply chains and illicit trade flows, as well as how the asymmetric aspects of contemporary economic interdependence enable novel disruptive practices with far-reaching consequences for national security strategies. As such, it shows how a geo-economic analytical perspective can contribute to shed light on the often overlooked vulnerabilities inherent in the interdependent character of the early 21st-century international system.