China\u27s Foreign Relations

This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the international relations of the People’s Republic of China. It will explore a number of important events, including China’s foreign relations since the Cold War as well as contemporary diplomatic, security and economic issues. In particular, this course will provide students some current research in Chinese foreign policy from multiple theoretical perspectives and methodologies. This course is divided into four parts. It first examines Chinese security policy, including Chinese use of force, policy toward conflicts of interests affecting war and pace, and China’s strategy as a rising power. The second part covers China’s behavior as an actor in multilateral institutions and China’s response to emerging global trends. These topics are relatively new for the field, reflecting the fact that since the late 1980s, China has advanced more rapidly into international institutional life than any other major sate moving from a similar position of isolation. Part III will introduce new research on domestic-foreign linkages, considering the impact of trends in public opinion and of Chinese identity on China’s policy toward countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. The final part will be student presentations of their research papers