Economic security in the Indo-Pacific: Implications for US-Japan relations

Economic security, with its twin goals of diminishing vulnerabilities to external shocks and promoting technological prowess, is redefining economic relations across the Indo-Pacific. Concerns over the exploitation of supply chain chokepoints have grown with intensifying geopolitical risk. In market economies, industrial policies have become more appealing to promote innovation and advanced manufacturing to compete in the ongoing technological revolution. At the same time, China is attempting to achieve greater self-sufficiency in the high-tech sector through ample state intervention that will have important implications for the deeply interconnected Indo-Pacific economies.

On November 7, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA hosted an expert panel to discuss the drivers and implications of the rise of economic security policies in the Indo-Pacific. They assessed how concerns with overdependence on China and China’s growing ambitions to lead in high-tech sectors have influenced the economic security policies of the United States, Japan, and other regional actors, and explored developments in export control policy, cybersecurity, and industrial promotion measures.

After the discussion, panelists took questions from the audience. Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to events@brookings.edu or via Twitter at #EconSecurity.

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