Weaponizing Trade: China's New Economic Arsenal

"China's New Economic Weapons: Statecraft, Strategy, and the Future of U.S.-China Economic Relations" examines how the Chinese government is increasingly leveraging its economic power for strategic and coercive purposes. In their report, Evan S. Medeiros and Andrew Polk explore the evolution of China's economic toolkit and how various measures are deployed in service of Beijing's political objectives. Drawing on recent case studies, the report assesses the drivers behind the development of these new tools, the implications for foreign firms and governments, and the strategic challenges they introduce into an already fragile U.S.-China relationship. 

In an interview conducted on July 28, 2025, report co-authors Evan Medeiros and Andrew Polk join Ka Zeng to discuss how China's economic coercion has changed, what it signals about China's future global role, and how the United States and its partners should respond. 

About the speakers