Description
It is generally agreed that international trade discourse and policy has shifted from a liberal to a more ‘geoeconomic’ approach. There is indeed pervasive political intervention in trade policy, adding considerations of power, relative gains and security to commercial/market logic. Yet apart from the US, major economies have not resiled from trade agreements and talk of deglobalisation looks premature. Furthermore, the old liberal or neoliberal era was also infused with power politics in different senses. This Panel incorporates a set of papers that explore the relationship between liberalism and geoeconomics on different dimensions and for specific empirical case studies. It includes papers that are sceptical of the idea of a geoeconomic turn and others that are more accepting of the concept but offer nuanced precise analysis of how this is working. The major focus is on the European Union, transatlantic relations and China. The papers also offer methodological innovations, including the use of AI for quantitative and qualitative research. As such it very much fits with the themes of IPEG and with the overall conference theme of new directions in a volatile world. I’m hopeful that it would be well attended and lead to productive research outcomes.
