Course #
43420

China’s rise exerts an ever greater influence on global affairs. The country’s government, people, military, markets, firms, and ideas are reshaping the world. But there exists sharp disagreements about the nature of Chinese power. Is China an opportunity? Is China a threat? What does China want? What will China do? Policy professionals in any sphere need to be familiar with China and know how to think about its international profile.

This course is a multidisciplinary study of China’s relationships with the world that synthesizes knowledge from international relations, political science, and economics to provide students with a holistic understanding of China’s rise and what it means for the world. The aim is to span the divide between scholarship and policymaking by using data, theory, primary sources, and secondary texts from various sides of key China debates.

The course has three parts. First, we will learn about the historical experiences, geopolitical contexts, and institutional structures that shape China’s external affairs. Next, we will study China’s relationship with international economics, security, and governance. Finally, we will analyze important contemporary policy issues related to China’s rise.

Some examples of the questions that we will grapple with in this course are: What is China’s “rise”? Is Chinese foreign policy changing under Xi Jinping? How does China fit in the global economy? Will China use force to achieve its security goals? Is China a champion or spoiler in global governance? Will China dominate future technologies? How important is the Belt and Road Initiative? Does Chinese aid help or hurt recipient countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America? Is there a “China Model” that Beijing wants to export? Did the US policy of “engagement” toward China fail? Could either country win a “new Cold War”?

There is often no simple “correct” answer to such questions, so policy professionals need to develop an intellectual architecture that allows them to assess competing perspectives and evaluate the evidence and logic used to support different arguments. Therefore, this course does not begin with a particular view about China but rather aims to equip students with the skills and the sources necessary to make their own informed decisions