Must the Weak Suffer What They Must?: The Global South in a World of Weaponized Interdependence

GIGA President Prof. Amrita Narlikar contributed to “The Uses and Abuses of Weaponized Interdependence” edited by Prof. Daniel Drezner, Prof. Henry Farrell, and Prof. Abraham Newman. In her chapter “Must the Weak Suffer What They Must?” Prof. Narlikar looks at how the global south copes with uses and abuses of weaponized interdependence. She investigates actors who are most likely to get squeezed in power struggles. The chapter shows “[…] that far from being just victims in a redrawn great-power game, seemingly weaker countries also have considerable scope for agency.”

This volume is published by Brookings Institution Press and will be available as of 16 February 2021.

About the volume:

In exploring the conditions under which China, Russia, and the United States might be expected to weaponize control of information and manipulate the global economy, the contributors to this volume challenge scholars and practitioners to think differently about foreign economic policy, national security, and statecraft for the twenty-first century. The book addresses such questions as: What areas of the global economy are most vulnerable to unilateral control of information and financial networks? How sustainable is the use of weaponized interdependence? What are the possible responses from targeted actors? And how sustainable is the open global economy if weaponized interdependence becomes a default tool for managing international relations?

Reviews & endorsements of the volume (selection):

“‘Weaponized Interdependence’ is now ‘a thing’ and one of the hot concepts in international relations, and indeed it is an essential idea for understanding the world. This volume has the ideal editors, and it is a wonderful introduction to the topic.” —Tyler Cowen, professor of economics, George Mason University

“In bilateral relations, states use asymmetrical interdependence to coerce others. In networks with increasing returns to scale, they use ‘weaponized interdependence’ to do so. The Uses and Abuses of Weaponized Interdependence demonstrates the importance of weaponized interdependence in contemporary world politics and is essential reading for scholars and policymakers alike.” —Robert O. Keohane, professor emeritus, Princeton University, and co-author, Power and Independence

“New technologies have been introduced quickly. These new technologies have produced new opportunities for the use of power. The tight relationship between underlying capabilities and the ability to do harm has been severed. The old world is at an end. This volume is at least a beginning on getting some grasp on how this new world will develop.” —Stephen D. Krasner, Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations, Stanford University

Events related to the volume:

Weaponized Interdependence - GIGA

Must the Weak Suffer what they Must? The Global South in a World of Weaponized Interdependence - Durham University

5G ist nur der Anfang. Digitalisierung, globale Machtverschiebungen und europäische Handlungsfähigkeit - SPD-Bundestagsfraktion (spdfraktion.de)