The Choice of Public Policy Tools in the Game of Great Powers and the Evolution of the Pattern of International Relations

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_33How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Great Power Competition; Public Policy Tools; International Relations; Geopolitics; Economic Statecraft; Technological Supremacy; Weaponized Interdependence; Gray Zone Conflict; Multipolarity

Abstract

Modern International System is increasingly defined by the strategic contest between major powers, which is reshaping global politics, economy, and security. This paper delves into the importance of public policy tools in this geopolitical rivalry and examines whether, and how, their selection and application shape the evolution of international relations. It argues that major powers employ a broad array of policy instruments–including economic sanctions, trade tariffs, technological regulations, diplomatic initiatives, and military modernization–to promote national interests, project influence, and reshape the global order. In this study we compare of the different policy options chosen by the main actors in the United States, China, and Russia. It highlights a clear shift away from traditional military-centric approaches toward a more integrated whole-of-government strategy, where economic, technological, and informational tools are at the forefront of a state’s agenda. This paper argues that the weaponization of interdependence–turning webs of economic and technological interconnection into instruments of leverage–and the race for technological supremacy have become two core pillars of geopolitical competition. It studies four major areas of policy application: economic statecraft, technology competition, diplomatic maneuvering, and military posturing. Looking at cases such as the U.S.-China trade and tech wars, sanctions targeting Russia’s banking and oil sectors, and the global competition for fifth-generation (5G) infrastructure, and showing some comparisons, it becomes apparent that the measured and often asymmetric application of these levers and tools is a defining aspect of these rivalries while serving as the driving force which upends established patterns as well as norms of behavior or relationships and alliances. Analysis shows that these competitions are causing a fragmentation of the globalization order, with separate economic and technology blocs, leaving the middle powers and developing countries to navigate through a far more complex and fragmented environment. In the end, this paper argue that a deeper understanding of how great powers select and deploy their public policy arsenal if we wish to make sense of the global order of the 21st century, given that this deployment is the primary driver of this transition towards an increasingly multipolar, contested, and ideologically divided world of new types of frictions and risks.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chun Wang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/25
TI  - The Choice of Public Policy Tools in the Game of Great Powers and the Evolution of the Pattern of International Relations
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 4th International Conference on Educational Science and Social Culture (ESSC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 283
EP  - 290
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_33
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_33
ID  - Wang2026
ER  -