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VOL. 12, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Rethinking interdependence: From self-reliance to irreplaceability
Authors
Shreshtha Sharma
Abstract
Governments increasingly view economic interdependence not simply as a
source of shared gains, but also as a potential source of strategic
vulnerability, as goods, technologies, and infrastructure can be turned into
instruments of coercion. Building on on Keohane and Nye’s distinction between
sensitivity and vulnerability alongside the literatures on weaponized
interdependence and network centrality, this paper argues that the dominant
policy response, self-reliance, addresses only half the problem. Self-reliance
reduces a state’s own exposure to disruption, but it does not make that state
harder for others to replace. The paper develops irreplaceability as a distinct
strategic objective with two dimensions- withstanding the loss of a
relationship, and raising the cost others bear from losing access to what the
state provides. Through case evidences of the United States, the EU, Japan,
China, and India, it shows that much of current economic-security strategy,
including friend-shoring, de-risking, and new economic-security legislation, remains
concentrated on the first dimension. China’s processing dominance and Taiwan’s
position in semiconductor fabrication illustrate the second dimension, though
reducing dependence can itself erode the capabilities that sustain it. India’s
shift from Atmanirbhar Bharat toward strategic indispensability captures this
tension directly. The paper concludes that irreplaceability is neither
permanent nor guaranteed by reduced dependence alone; it must be actively
sustained within the global networks that others continue to need.
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Pages:260-265
How to cite this article:
Shreshtha Sharma "Rethinking interdependence: From self-reliance to irreplaceability". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, Vol 12, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 260-265
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