Module SGIA3381: China in Global Political Economy

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3381: China in Global Political Economy

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• This module aims to study the emergence and the role of China in the global political economy. China transforms from a communist to a socialist market economy (with Chinese characteristics!). Its unprecedented economic rise, active engagement in the world economic affairs, the politics of its global economic integration, the 'go out' strategies and more recently ‘whole nation’s approach’ accommodate, re-shape, and challenges the global economy.

Content

• In this module, China's transitional economic structure will be assessed in connection with the global economic architectures. China's economic policy, its role in the global production, finance and environment will be studied in connection with the empirical cases of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2008-09 financial crisis, the sovereign wealth funds, the outward FDI, the newly derived Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the politics of the economic relations with the Global South, amongst other global issues.

Learning Outcomes

• Show detailed and systematic knowledge of changes in China’s relationship with the global political economy.
• Understand some major driving forces of China’s global economic integration.
• Knowledge enhancement on critical issues between China and the world, such as intellectual property rights, international trade, global production, FDI and global environment.

• Describe, analyse and evaluate China’s roles in the architecture of the global political economy.
• Utilise advanced scholarly resources, statistics and materials to establish sound academic judgement about the process and construction of China’s global economic integration.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of the international financial crises for Chinese economic development.
• Explore and critically assess the tension between Chinese economic strategies and the global political economy, and the options and obstacles China faces.

• Participation in discussion and presentation of research.
• Engaging critically in debate in topical issues.
• Independent learning and thinking.
• Writing scholarly essays of substantial length.
• Critical discussion on news and assessment of media coverage to assess if the theories or academic meaning help explain the current news.

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

• Teaching will be conducted through a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures aim to reinforce theoretical discussion and provide advanced knowledge on new development as well as to draw attention to the central/most current debate to formulate some core understanding.
• Student-led presentation and discussion allow the students to generate skills and the articulation of the central focus of the topic with a view to gradually establishing their capacity for independent thinking and evaluation.
• Student presentations will be based on the module materials as well as other sources.
• Presentation allows students to focus on a specific topic, to summarize through abstraction and to advance an open debate.
• Discussant’s role helps develop a constant academic assessment on news covering China and the world economy.
• The critical discussion in the formative presentation will help students to participate and will link up what they have learnt in the class about China and the world economy together with the assessment of media coverages. When a student presents the topic, another student will act as commentator by using three pieces of newspapers articles from different newspaper or weekly magazine (on a similar issue) to see if the theories or academic meaning help explain the current news, why and why not. Feedback will be given after the presentation.
• The formative assessment (1,500-word essay) will be used to construct and formulate logical and appropriate argument with clear academic articulation. Feedback will be given for further improvement.
• The summative assessment (two 2,500-word essays) will test the capacity for synthesis, analysis and logical evaluation in relation to material drawn from all or most of the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Each student will be required to submit one 1,500-word essay; undertake 1 seminar presentation; and act as discussant on another student's 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