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Leveraging interdependence for economic statecraft : The structure of power in the supply chain for semiconductors

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dc.date.accessioned 2023-04-26T08:29:03Z
dc.date.available 2023-04-26T08:29:03Z
dc.date.issued 2023-04-26
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/45435
dc.title Leveraging interdependence for economic statecraft : The structure of power in the supply chain for semiconductors en
ethesis.faculty Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta fi
ethesis.faculty Faculty of Social Sciences en
ethesis.faculty Statsvetenskapliga fakulteten sv
ethesis.faculty.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/6affe131-10ad-46a1-a7d8-df872797d4a8
ethesis.university.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/50ae46d8-7ba9-4821-877c-c994c78b0d97
ethesis.university Helsingin yliopisto fi
ethesis.university University of Helsinki en
ethesis.university Helsingfors universitet sv
dct.creator Kristeri, Tomi
dct.issued 2023
dct.abstract Global politics of the 21st century has witnessed two distinct developments: a rise in economic statecraft, or the use of economic means in international influence attempts, and the fragmentation of production into global supply chains. This thesis investigates how these phenomena coexist by analysing how interdependencies in global supply chains can be leveraged in acts of economic statecraft. Specifically, it looks at the structure of interdependencies in the supply chain for semiconductor devices, and how they have been weaponized in the contemporary U.S.–China trade war. For this, a unique theoretical framework is developed by bringing over insights from Power-Dependence theory, network analysis, and Global Value Chain analysis into International Relations theory on economic statecraft and international interdependence. Arguing that interdependence is a type of power resource, this thesis posits that the interdependent exchange relations between individual firms in a supply chain together constitute a power structure. The topology of this power structure is determined by how interdependence asymmetries are distributed across it. States who are in control of advantageous positions of this topology can leverage interdependencies in acts of economic statecraft against other states. This structure is not fixed and can be shaped by state action, including economic statecraft, that can be motivated either by power balancing or power maximisation. Alternatively, a state may assume a strategy of cost-reduction which is aimed at accepting the state of dependence and power imbalance. This thesis maps the power structure of the semiconductor supply chain by looking at the chain at the level of the individual firm. The structure is assessed with the help of the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, based on data about where the market on each chain segment of the supply chain is nationally concentrated in. The results of this mapping reveal that the U.S., and to a lesser extent South Korea and Taiwan, are in control of strategically important positions in the supply chain, allowing them to leverage this position against others. China especially is shown to be vulnerable due to its high level of dependence on other countries in the chain. The thesis also shows that the power structure has both motivated China’s attempts at achieving ‘semiconductor independence’ and enabled the U.S.’s use of economic sanctions against China. en
dct.subject economic statecraft
dct.subject international interdependence
dct.subject weaponized interdependence
dct.subject global value chains
dct.subject supply chains
dct.subject semiconductors
dct.subject US–China relations
dct.subject geoeconomics
ethesis.language.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/languages/eng
ethesis.language englanti fi
ethesis.language English en
ethesis.language engelska sv
ethesis.supervisor Teivainen, Teivo
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu -tutkielmat fi
ethesis.thesistype master's thesis en
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu-avhandlingar sv
ethesis.thesistype.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/thesistypes/mastersthesis
dct.identifier.ethesis E-thesisID:6ae47cb2-0540-4cb7-a1d8-b877babedfe3
ethesis-internal.timestamp.reviewStep 2023-03-22 15:07:54:409
dct.identifier.urn URN:NBN:fi:hulib-202304261829
dct.alternative Keskinäisriippuvuus ja taloudellinen valtiotaito : Vallan rakenne puolijohteiden tuotantoketjuissa fi
ethesis.facultystudyline Maailmanpolitiikka fi
ethesis.facultystudyline World Politics en
ethesis.facultystudyline Världspolitik sv
ethesis.facultystudyline.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/SH70_065
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Politiikan ja viestinnän maisteriohjelma fi
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Master's Programme in Politics, Media and Communication en
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Magisterprogrammet i politik, medier och kommunikation sv
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/MH70_002

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