API Geoeconomic Briefing is a series provided by the Asia Pacific Initiative, an independent think tank based in Tokyo. The series will look into geopolitical and economic trends in the post-COVID-19 world, with a particular focus on four areas: technology and innovation; global supply chains; international rule-making and climate change.

In recent years, China has been escalating moves to achieve its geopolitical goals by taking advantage of its economic power.

There are so many cases of economic coercion by China. Salmon imports from Norway were suspended after Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and rare earth metal exports to Japan were restricted following a collision between a Chinese fishing boat and Japan Coast Guard cutters near the Senkaku Islands.