This course surveys the security challenges and cooperation in the broader Indo-Pacific Region against the background of a rising China. In particular, it provides students with an understanding of how China’s rise both affects and is affected by regional geo-strategic alignments, economic interdependence, and growing multilateral institutions, and aims to develop an ability to apply this knowledge to analyzing and evaluating the related issues and trends.
A. Demonstrate knowledge of China’s relations with Asia in both historical context and contemporary settings and evaluate major related issues and trends. B. Demonstrate an understanding of international relations theory and how it explains China’s rise and its implications for the region. C. Demonstrate a knowledge of and the ability to critically assess the domestic context of China’s policy toward Asia, and how culture, history, key stakeholders, and policy-making processes influence the formulation and implementation of Chinese policies, and inform its negotiating strategies. D. Critically assess China’s key bilateral ties in the region and its participation in major multilateral institutions. E. Demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of key players/major powers in the region and how they view their relationships with China. F. Conduct basic research using multiple search applications/tools in English/Chinese-source data environments. G. Compose different types of academic papers— e.g., article reviews, policy analyses, and research papers - to describe, synthesize, and analyse China’s foreign relations in the Asian context. H. Demonstrate presentation skills, in both individual or group formats.
Lectures and seminars for rehearsal of weekly topics.