Module POLI3281: CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY: HISTORY, SECURITY AND DIPLOMACY

Department: GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (POLITICS)

POLI3281: CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY: HISTORY, SECURITY AND DIPLOMACY

Prerequisites

• Level 2: The Politics of Pacific Asia or Dynamics of Change in IR

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The aim of the module is to study the foreign policy of the People???s Republic of China in relation to its neighbouring states, the US, and Europe. It will also examine non-traditional and non-state relations through a consideration of political-economic ties, the relation of domestic and international politics, and Chinese models of world order. The module thus will include a theoretical study of how a rising great power interacts with the world. It will build on 2nd year modules in IR theory and Pacific Asian politics, and complement 3rd year modules in East Asian politics and IR theory. It will provide an example of how to study foreign policy.

Content

• After the end of the cold war, China is seen to be either a ???threat??? or an ???opportunity??? on the world stage. This course will examine Chinese foreign relations in detail to chart the rise of this emerging superpower.
• First, the modern history of Chinese foreign policy will be examined to provide a background to contemporary trends. Then Chinese nationalism and IR theory will be considered to provide a theoretical basis for China???s encounter with the world. Sino-American and EU-China relations will be considered to show the strategic and theoretical debate between engagement and containment. The increasing contacts between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be studied to chart the rise of regionalism.
• Non-traditional foreign policy will be examined through the study of Greater China???s to see how transnational socio-economic relations. The relation of sovereignty and democracy in Chinese foreign policy will be examined via cross-straits relations. While Greater China describes transnational cooperation in the region, conflict will be examined via Sino-ASEAN relations in the South China Sea disputes. The module will conclude with a consideration of ???scenarios??? to see how strategists predict the future of Chinese foreign policy.

Learning Outcomes

• Through the module, students should acquire knowledge and of:
• important elements of foreign policy study, and the interrelation of domestic and international politics
• the role of China in regional and international security and order
• techniques and methods for investigating this area of political activity
• the contested and dynamic nature of foreign policy and China in international relations
• the problems of analysing specific political events in appropriate context
• the interaction of a range of actors in establishing conceptual and theoretical frameworks for thinking about Chinese foreign policy, and how those more directly involved respond to and utilise these ideas.

• Through the course, student should be able to:
• Place Chinese foreign policy and diplomacy in an appropriate historical context
• Accurately and effectively describe IR theories, concepts, institutions and processes in relation to China???s global politics
• Identify and apply appropriate methods of political analysis in support of analytical argument, including the analysis and evaluation of competing perspectives, theories, and explanations
• Effectively utilise diverse sources, including appropriate primary sources
• Understand how a different culture (i.e. China) addresses the problems and challenges of foreign policy in an age of globalisation
• Demonstrate an independent and self-critical approach to learning

• Students will further develop their ability to:
• Assess the suitability and quality of resources for research purposes
• Flexibly adjust and adapt their use of knowledge and the application of intellectual skills to different forms of study: philosophical-cultural analysis and policy debate
• Utilise C&IT with discrimination in the investigation of current political issues
• Take responsibility for their own work
• Review, reinforce and integrate their knowledge independently in preparation for an examination
• Be able to demonstrate the above acquisitions in written form under pressure of time and without supporting materials

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module provides a diverse and structured mode of teaching and learning, combining lectures and tutorials. The module convenor will give 12 one-hour lectures. Students will attend 12 weekly tutorials throughout the year. There will be 1 one-hour revision lecture at the end of the module. The lectures provide an orientation in historical background, key concepts and important issues. The tutorials will build on the lectures to examine topical problems. The tutorials enable students??? presentation of findings orally and allow collective discussion and critique of the results.
• Formative assessment is by one 1500 word essay, testing the student???s engagement with and performance in the module as it proceeds.
• Summative Assessment is by 2-hour sectionalized examination, obliging students to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge and analytical capacity over the range of the module and to show the ability to organize recalled material under pressure of time.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 1500 word essay, One tutorial presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University