East Asia Forum includes Vekasi column about economic interdependence deployed for political goals 

East Asia Forum published Kristin Vekasi’s column titled “Weaponised interdependence and the Japanese private sector.” Vekasi is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and School of Policy and International Affairs. “From trade barriers to financial sanctions, it’s increasingly common to see economic interdependence deployed for political goals,” she wrote. “This type of economic coercion, dubbed ‘weaponised interdependence’, affects multinational firms first and foremost — entities that are often removed from the geopolitical issues that starts such coercion. These companies become potential targets of the state.”