Analyzing systemic economic coercion: US-China interdependence and global resistance strategies
Original framing: “How can world resist US, China economic coercion? Abraham Newman explains” — South China Morning Post
The original framing omits the voices of smaller economies and developing nations that are disproportionately affected by economic coercion. It also lacks a historical perspective on how economic interdependence has been used as a tool of empire-building and how indigenous and non-Western economies have navigated these pressures.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative is produced by a Western academic and published in a Hong Kong-based media outlet, reflecting a geopolitical lens that prioritizes US-China rivalry. It serves the interests of policymakers and analysts seeking to understand how to resist coercion, but it risks obscuring the role of global capital flows and the interests of multinational corporations that benefit from the status quo.
In regions like Southeast Asia and Africa, economic coercion is often experienced as part of a broader pattern of neocolonialism. These regions have developed cooperative economic strategies, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, to resist external pressures and promote regional autonomy.
Economic coercion by the US and China is not a new phenomenon but a continuation of historical patterns of imperial economic control.
Indigenous and non-Western economies have long resisted such pressures through regional cooperation, alternative financial systems, and traditional knowledge. To build a more just global economy, we must reform international institutions, empower marginalized voices, and integrate diverse economic models that prioritize sustainability and equity. By doing so, we can create a system that resists coercion and promotes true global interdependence based on mutual respect and shared prosperity.