Some realist critics in the realm of International Relations believe that in the 21st Century, wars tend to be dominated by military power and armaments. On the other hand, Skeptics of Realism believe that New Fronts, however, are more immersed in economic struggles in the form of Tariffs, Protectionist Policies, Hostile Infrastructure Initiatives, and the Utility of Economies to undermine the enemy’s economy and accomplish Geo-Political Objectives. This Paradigm Shift can pose an ominous hazard to the peace of the International Financial System and the Developing Economies of the Third-World countries, Particularly South Asian Economies.
As discussed, new War Fronts deepened in Economic Zones and Economic Infrastures; it is pretty perceptible that economic sanctions as a tool of war by even the most Powerful States are a new variant in the Warfare Literature. USA unfettered Sanctions on Iran and North Korea are a clear manifestation of the Military Presence and Conventional tools to execute Wars in the enemy countries’ meltdown in the 21st Century. Following the International Political Economic Theory of Classic Mercantilism which focused on the Tariffs and Taxes, The Rising Waves of Protectionism to contain the rise of Other Countries reveals that Wars have become economy-oriented.USA Policies during Trump Era revealed that both USA and China contained each other by restricting economies through tariffs and taxes on each other Economic activities to destabilize the markets.
As it is clear that the World is moving from the Conventional War-Zones to Economic-War Zones, the Rise of Economic Infrastructure Initiatives can be observed that different nations use to enhance their powers. It is a modern way to corner hostile countries through the development and infrastructure abilities.OBOR is a Chinese initiative to connect Europe and Asia through the One Road, One Belt Project. The development of this project will put China in a position to own the Euro-Asian Region by expanding and making other states too much dependent on Chinese Economic Activities. In response, the USA, with Eleven Countries, developed the Trans-Pacific Partnership to secure the Sea-Lines and Sea-Routes to corner the Chinese Hegemony in the Region. In this way, the Global Powers shifted their Policies of Conventional Warfare from Physical Military Presence to Economic-Zones. The Development of Economic Infrastructure is a hallmark of establishing the hegemony and domination in the region.
The reasons above that World is Invalidating the Realists Perspectives in which Military-Driven Strategies are developed to Secure the Nation-Interests can be substantiated with the Liberalism Perspectives that Focus on Global-Actors to regulate the world through economies. In the Indirect War of US-China, the USA used to undermine the Chinese Strategy to Combat the USA not by the Military Presence but with the help of Economic Obstacles.USA pressured Pakistan in 2019 through IMF to reveal the documents of CPEC, which is the Chinese Project to Increase her Infrastructure Initiatives in the Euro-Asian region. The USA tactically tried to undermine the CPEC, which could be a monumental loss for the Chinese Economy. Moreover, the Traditional Foes, Pakistan and India, constantly destabilize each other through economic proxies. For Instance, India attempted to block Pakistan through FATF; this attempt was to contain and restrict Pakistani Power Dynamics.
The world is shifting from the conventional standards of Warfare’s to economic zones with an Increasing Quest of States to capture the economic zones having natural resources, which is further clarification for the financial nature of Warfare. As the South Chinese Sea area has more oil, minerals, and natural resources, China is attempting to dominate this resource-rich area to counter the threat of the USA in the region.
The other options of Increasing Economic-War-Zone front lines are discernible in provoking the capacities of World Powers to dominate Sea Lanes of Communication for further economic strength. World Trade Routes are dependent on sea-Lines for Trade and Exchange. In conventional Warfare, the enemy country used to show Power Display through the naval powers. Still, in the 21st Century, the Paradigm shifted in the form of blocking sea lines and Sea-Routes for those countries which are hostile to each other. This evolutionary nature of Warfare can be observed when Iran, after getting economic sanctions from the USA, attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz and Block the Trade Route by halting the Sea-Lines for Communication. Technically Speaking, Sea Routes are Economic. In Nature block, these routes are considered to open new War-Fronts in Economic-Zones.
Now we will discuss the reasons for shifting from Warfare to Economic Front Lines; after WWII, the constitution of World Organizations like IMF, World Bank, and UNSC evolved the International norms that made the military combatants difficult in the global arena. As the Military Powers Grow with the Stable Political Systems and the Stability of Political networks in any country is dependent on the Economic Stability, which is further dependent on the connectivity and interdependence in the globalized world. With time rising dependence of nations’ states on each other curtailed the threat of Physical Warfare. Countries are economically dependent on each other; any halt in economic relations due to causal relations of Physical Wars and Military Presence could destabilize the whole nation with more stagnation. So the nature of Modern Warfare is Economic in Nature, and Countries use Economic Tactics to contain the Enemy, which declined the Threat of Physical Warfare in the 21st Century.
Coming to the Possible Solutions; The Regional Actors should orient their policies so that the nationalist and cultural interests shouldn’t invalidate the economic claims of the nations. The Economic Policies shouldn’t be used as the game tactics because they could have lethal consequences on the Ordinary People battling economic nations. Moreover, the hegemonic powers should redesign their policies for the greater good of global countries, which are primarily dependent on the economies of First World Countries in the 21st Century.
To conclude the preceding discussion, It needs an hour to reconsider and reinvigorate the Specter of economic wars lest they should undermine the development of Multilateralism and Cooperation that has been attained in the 21st Century as the economic warfare zones have more inclination to collapse the world order which can be viewed in the form of North Korean Famine which emerged due to more Sanctions and Tariffs because of Indirect USA battle against North Korea on the matter of Nuclear-Deal. The Global Powers should pivot over the rising threat of economic warfare so the world could save from aversive policies.
