Picture this scenario: the year is 2028 and western intelligence services have reached an alarming conclusion. Credible sources suggest that China is about to impose a maritime blockade around Taiwan – a step that intelligence officers believe will precede a full-scale invasion of the territory.
As the world braces for impact, G7 allies scramble to assess their economic statecraft options in the form of financial sanctions, trade restrictions or export controls – or anything that could alter China’s calculus. For western policymakers, this crisis raises a series of difficult questions.