International Relations & Geoeconomics Policy Analytics Task Force
An operational unit of the Geopolitical Strategy and Statecraft Division, developing analytical frameworks for understanding geoeconomics — the use of economic instruments to achieve geopolitical objectives — and advising on policy responses that protect national interests while preserving the open international economic order that underpins global prosperity.
Mission & Operational Scope
Analyzing the Weaponization of Economic Interdependence
The post-Cold War era of globalization created deep economic interdependencies between states that were assumed to reduce the risk of conflict. That assumption has proven wrong. Economic interdependence has instead become a weapon — states use trade restrictions, investment screening, financial sanctions, technology export controls, and infrastructure investment as instruments of geopolitical competition. China's Belt and Road Initiative, US technology export controls targeting Huawei, Russia's use of energy as a coercive tool, and the weaponization of dollar-denominated financial systems all represent the geoeconomic competition that has replaced the purely military competition of the Cold War.
This task force develops the analytical frameworks that help states understand and navigate geoeconomic competition — identifying vulnerabilities, assessing policy options, and advising on strategies that protect national interests without triggering destructive economic fragmentation.
Governing Doctrine
Frameworks & Standards
- WTO FrameworkWorld Trade Organization rules-based framework — international trade governance system establishing non-discrimination, transparency, and dispute resolution standards
- FATF StandardsFinancial Action Task Force standards — international framework for financial system integrity applicable to the use of financial sanctions as geopolitical instruments
- G20 FrameworkG20 international economic cooperation framework — multilateral forum for coordinating macroeconomic policy and addressing geoeconomic tensions among major economies
- OECD GuidelinesOECD investment and trade guidelines — international standards for foreign investment screening, export controls, and economic security policy coordination
Operational Capabilities
Six Core Functions
01
Economic Coercion Analysis
Develop analytical frameworks for economic coercion — identifying the mechanisms, patterns, and vulnerabilities that make states susceptible to economic pressure and advising on defensive strategies that reduce dependence on potential adversaries in critical sectors.
02
Sanctions Policy Analytics
Develop international sanctions policy analytics frameworks — assessing the effectiveness, humanitarian impact, and unintended consequences of economic sanctions regimes and advising on design improvements that maximize coercive impact while minimizing civilian harm.
03
Supply Chain Resilience Assessment
Develop international supply chain resilience assessment frameworks — identifying critical dependencies in defense, technology, and essential goods supply chains and advising on diversification strategies that reduce vulnerability to economic coercion.
04
Foreign Investment Security Screening
Develop international frameworks for foreign investment security screening — establishing the national security review standards, coordination mechanisms between allied screening bodies, and transparency requirements that protect critical infrastructure from adversarial investment.
05
Technology Export Control Coordination
Develop international technology export control coordination frameworks — establishing the allied coordination mechanisms, control list harmonization standards, and enforcement cooperation protocols that prevent adversaries from acquiring critical technologies through third-country routes.
06
Geoeconomic Scenario Planning
Develop geoeconomic scenario planning frameworks — modeling the potential trajectories of economic fragmentation, currency competition, and trade bloc formation to advise policymakers on the long-term implications of current geoeconomic trends and policy choices.