The Trajectory of Geoeconomics: From Post–Cold War Emergence to Contemporary Resurgence

Abstract

In recent years, geoeconomics has re-emerged as a prominent concept in debates on international relations and global political economy. It is increasingly invoked to interpret a wide range of developments such as economic statecraft, technological rivalry, sanctions regimes, and supply chain restructuring. Alongside its growing visibility in policy and media discourse, academic scholarship on geoeconomics has also expanded significantly over the past decade. Despite this renewed attention, however, the concept remains analytically ambiguous and is used in divergent ways across different contexts. Rather than seeking to resolve these conceptual debates, this article adopts a more modest objective by examining the historical trajectory of geoeconomics. Based on a structured review of the literature, it traces the historical evolution of geoeconomics from the post–Cold War period to its renewed prominence in the 2020s. The study argues that the contemporary salience of geoeconomics is best understood as the result of a shift in how economic interdependence is perceived, from a source of mutual benefit to a condition associated with vulnerability and strategic competition, particularly in the context of intensifying great power rivalry. By providing a periodized account of these developments, the article offers a systematic framework for understanding how geoeconomics has evolved and why it has become a central analytical lens in contemporary international relations.