Geoeconomic Confrontations: Sovereignty, Strategy, and Global Cooperation

This conversation was part of the 2025 Meridian Summit: Shaping Geopolitical Futures.

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Rapid shifts in trade, strategy, and the rise of new economic powers are redefining the contours of global competition and cooperation. In a conversation moderated by Deborah Lehr, Interim CEO of Meridian, panelists explored how nations and other global actors are navigating these changes. Distinguished speakers Dina Powell McCormick, Vice Chair of BDT & MSD Partners, Paige Willey, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, and His Excellency Jose Manuel Romualdez, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the U.S. brought perspectives from business, national economic policy, and diplomacy to examine the intersection of national interests, economic sovereignty, and global cooperation. In an era of rapid technological and geopolitical change, agility, foresight, and collaboration are essential for both national and corporate actors. 

Here are the Top Takeaways from the Program:

1. OPPORTUNITY EMERGES FROM CRISIS

Disruption, while uncomfortable, can be a catalyst for progress. Powell McCormick pointed to recent developments in the Middle East, where coordinated international efforts have stabilized conflict zones and enabled new avenues for economic engagement, in addition to unprecedented investments in new technology. Similarly, Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid growth, with countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam exploring partnerships in critical minerals and emerging technology sectors. Geopolitical and economic upheavals can create opportunities for strategic investments, new trade relationships, and regional collaboration that advance both stability and prosperity. 

2. THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS A STABALIZING FORCE

Corporate diplomacy and private capital are playing an increasingly vital role alongside government policy. Powell McCormick described  “massive capital outlays with AI and the energy sources required and the compute power” driving a new industrial boom. Willey stressed that investment in advanced industries “revitalizes manufacturing and fortifies domestic supply chains,” underscoring the United States’ “unbelievably productive” workforce and high-value operations attracted back home. The synergy of private investment and policy has become a key driver of innovation, employment, and supply chain resilience.

3. MIDDLE POWERS ARE FINDING LEVERAGE AMID STRATEGIC COMPETITION 

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez illustrated how nations like the Philippines are leveraging long-standing relationships with the United States to balance pressures from China while pursuing economic growth, demonstrating the value of deliberate, resilient policymaking in a complex geopolitical environment. Economic security and defense security are inseparable, and partnerships on critical minerals, trade, and infrastructure are creating new opportunities for ASEAN economies. Ambassador Romualdez highlighted how the Indo-Pacific’s economic dynamism offers space for cooperation among “like-minded nations” despite intensifying geopolitical pressures.  

Next Steps:

As global economic power continues to shift, nations and businesses must adopt a forward-looking, integrated approach. For cross-sector leaders, this means prioritizing partnerships that align economic, technological, and geopolitical interests, while remaining agile in response to market and policy disruptions. Staying informed on the evolving geoeconomic horizon—and where private capital is flowing—will be essential to anticipating new opportunities and risks. By understanding how crises can create openings for growth, fostering high-value domestic capabilities, and leveraging both multilateral and public-private collaboration, stakeholders can navigate the geoeconomic confrontations of today to achieve stability and prosperity tomorrow.