Course syllabus

Course Overview and Objectives

This course is about China’s foreign relations since 1978, a topic of immense importance for both China and the world. On the one hand, China’s emergence as a diplomatic and economic heavyweight is shifting the global balance of power, shaping the responses of governments and intergovernmental organizations, and posing fundamental questions about the nature of world order itself. Indeed, China’s rise is perhaps the most significant geopolitical event since the fall of the Roman Empire. On the other hand, China’s status as the world’s fastest growing economy, the leading producer of carbon emissions, and its enduring reputation as a human rights violator all make it a key country of interest for an array of governmental and non-governmental actors wishing to effect domestic changes.

The course is designed as an introduction to China’s role in international affairs and impact on the global economy, polity, and environment. By its end, you should have an understanding of why and how particular Chinese foreign policies are and an appreciation of the key issues China confronts as a key global player. The overarching goal of the paper, however, is to develop students’ critical and analytical thinking skills. This aim is affected through a variety of written assignments designed to encourage curiosity and creativity, and allow students to focus on topics of particular interest to them.

 

Structure

The course consists of 12 two-hour lectures throughout the semester. Recordings of the lectures will be made available online.

For students enrolled at the Stage 2 level, lectures are supplemented by a weekly tutorial session at which the tutor will lead discussions based on questions submitted by students about course readings, and offer guidance on essay and exam writing techniques. Students enrolled at the Stage 3 level will participate in an ungraded weekly discussion hour run by the Lecturer.

All students are required to complete one critical review essay, take a midterm test one hour in length, and sit a final examination, as well as attend and participate in tutorial/discussion sessions. The expectations and assessment standards will be benchmarked to Stage II courses for those enrolled in Politics 254 and benchmarked to Stage III courses for those in Politics 354.

 

Textbook

The main text for the course is Marc Lanteigne, Chinese Foreign Policy: An Introduction, 3rd Ed., (London and New York: Routledge, 2015), hereafter abbreviated CFP.  The book is available for purchase from the University Bookstore.  Additional required readings are detailed in the section below.

 

Summary of Weekly Readings and Topics

Wk. 1. China’s Place in World Politics

CFP, ch. 1

June Teufel Dreyer, "The Tianxia Trope: Will China Change the International System?" in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 24, Issue 96 (2015), pp. 1015-1031.

Chunman Zhang, "How to Merge Western Theories and Chinese Indigenous Theories to Study Chinese Politics," in Journal of Chinese Political Science, Vol. 22, No. 2, (June 2017), pp. 283-294).

 

Wk 2. What Makes Chinese Foreign Policy?

CFP, chs. 2 & 5

 

Wk. 3. Meet the Neighbours: China in East Asia

CFP, ch. 7

James Reilly, "China's Economic Engagement with North Korea," in China Quarterly, Vol. 220 (2014), pp. 915-935. 

 

Wk. 4. Cross-Strait Relations

Yitan Li and Enyu Zhang, "Changing Taiwanese Identity and Cross-Strait Relations," in Journal of Chinese Political Science, Vol. 22, No. 1, (March 2017), pp. 17-35.

Chin-Hao Huang and Patrick James, "Blue, Green or Aquamarine? Taiwan and the Status Quo Preference in Cross-Strait Relations," in China Quarterly, Vol. 219, (2014), pp. 670-692.

 

Wk. 5. Sino-US Relations and the Geopolitics of China’s Rise

CFP, chs. 6 & 8

Jiangyu Wang, "Legitimacy, Jurisdiction, and Merits in the South China Sea Arbitration: Chinese Perspectives and International Law," in Journal of Chinese Political Science, Vol. 22, No2. (June 2017), pp. 185-210.

 

Wk. 6. Midterm Examination

**Test to be held in-class. Details to follow.

No Readings.

 

Wk. 7. China Into Africa

Chris Alden and Daniel Large, "On Becoming a Norms Maker: Chinese Foreign Policy, Norms Evolution and the Challenge of Security in Africa," in China Quarterly, Vol. 221, (2015), pp. 123-142.

Fei-Ling Wang and Esi A. Elliot, “China in Africa: Presence, Perceptions, and Prospects,” in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 23, No. 90, (2014), pp. 1012-1032.

 

Wk. 8 The Next Frontier of Chinese Foreign Aid: The Pacific Islands

Kate Hannan and Stewart Firth, "Trading with the Dragon: Chinese Trade, Investment, and Development Assistance in the Pacific Islands," in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 24, Issue 95, (2015), pp. 865-882. 

Denghua Zhang and Stephanie Lawson, "China in Pacific Regional Politics," in The Round Table: Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, OnlineFirst (April 2017), pp. 197-206.

 

Wk. 9  International Organizations and China

CFP, ch. 4

Anastasia Shesterinina, “Evolving Norms of Protection: China, Libya, and the Problem of Intervention in Armed Conflict,” in Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Vol. 29, No. 3, (2016), pp. 812-830.

 

Wk. 10 China and the Global Economy

CFP, ch. 3

Charles Burton and Stephen Noakes, "Forging Free Trade with China: The Maple Leaf and the Silver Fern," in Pacific Affairs, Vol. 89, No. 4, (December 2016), pp. 839-858. 

 

Wk. 11 Soft Power in Practice

Scott Kennedy, "The Myth of the Beijing Consensus," in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 19, Issue 65, (2010), pp. 461-477. 

Barry Naughton, "China's Distinctive System: Can it be a Model for Others?" in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 19, Issue 65, (2010), pp. 437-460.