Admission requirements
Required course(s):
At least one 200-level World Politics course from the same track.
Description
This course aims to provide a critical examination of key issues and processes related to the politics and international relations of China. The focus of the course is on developments since the end of the Cold War, with a particular emphasis on China’s economic and political rising and its various implications for international politics up to date.
In the summer of 1989, protesters gathered in Tiananmen Square to demand greater political rights. The changes that swept Europe with the disintegration of the Soviet Union seemed to be replicating in China. For over three decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continued to hold power and successfully negotiated to end the Cold War, laying the foundation for China's rise as a world power. China has now integrated into the world economy and has played an important political role. At the same time, however, China seems to be very fragile. Many Western observers have been expecting the collapse of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Western scholars, journalists, and the like all believe the regime lacks legitimacy because it is not based on an electoral/democratic system. The riots/protests in Tibet in 2008, Xinjiang in 2009, Hong Kong in 2014 and 2019, and the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, to some extent, confirmed their observations and concerns about China's vulnerability. As Susan Shirk (2007) said, China is a ‘fragile superpower.’
In addition, China’s rise appears threatening to many people. Foreigners often worry that China’s rapid development will threaten the stability of the current world order. Military and political tensions between China and Taiwan could undermine the stability of the Northeast Asian region; China’s historical animosity towards Japan endures. China has continued land reclamation on the disputed Islands in the South China Sea. Many Western countries, especially the United States, are increasingly anxious about losing their pre-eminence and are often even more outspoken than Chinese observers in proclaiming the imminent rise of a Chinese pole on the global power map. Today, with the rise of the Global South, global markets in turmoil and supply chains broadly affected by the U.S.-China trade war, the outbreak of COVID-19, and, most recently, the Ukraine war, the international political order may be re-altered. How exactly will the international order change? Are we moving away from the U.S.-centric world order to a more China-centric world order, and in what ways? And what does a world order centred on China mean?
This course aims to draw considerable insight from IR and political theory to make a sophisticated and nuanced analysis of China’s ascent. The course is organised into three parts, with 13 sessions. The first part (Session 1, 2, 3, 4) offers a general introduction to China’s politics and international relations, including its worldview, strategic thinking, and Chinese theories of international relations. The second part (Sessions 5, 6, 7, 8) aims to explore questions such as whether China’s rise is a real phenomenon and what the characteristics of China’s rise are. It will examine China's hard and soft power and the challenges facing contemporary China (that is, stability and unity). The third part (Sessions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) is designed to consider China’s foreign relationships with different countries/regions worldwide over various issues. The countries/regions discussed include Taiwan, Africa/global South, the European Union, and the United States.
Course Objectives
In this course, students will learn valuable theoretical, methodological, and analytical skills, enabling them to interpret key issues in the politics and international relations of China. By the end of the course, each student is expected to develop the following skills:
Understanding of Chinese Politics and International Relations
- Critically identify and discuss key issues surrounding the history and development of China’s politics and international relations.
- A critical awareness of the key debates concerning the rise of China.
Knowledge of International Relations Theories and Its Applications
- Critically reflect upon key theories and concepts of IR theories using a variety of case studies related to Chinese politics and international relations.
- Apply conceptual tools to analyse key events and processes in Chinese politics and international relations.
Intellectual Skills
- Demonstrate appropriate cognitive, communicative, and transferable skills, develop the capacity for independent learning, critique major texts on Chinese politics and international relations, and participate in class debates.
- Display the confidence to present their arguments in relevant academic contexts (seminars, workshops, conferences) for specialists in IR of China.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
The course is taught through two-hour seminars. During the seminars, students are expected to take part in both large and small group discussions, lead seminar discussions, present and defend their ideas within an academic setting, and take part in group projects. The role of the instructor is to ensure the efficient running of the discussion.
Assessment Method
Participation 15%
Presentations 15%
Book review 30%
Final research paper 40%
Reading list
There is no single textbook for this course. A given session of the course is based on three sets of readings.
‘Required readings’ provide the essential background to a given session; therefore, every participant must read them. This is a firm requirement, not a suggestion. Think of reading the required texts as the entry ticket to each session.
‘Recommended readings’ are highly and directly relevant to a given class and will help you tremendously get the most out of each session. The recommended readings are mandatory for those delivering a group presentation and optional for the rest of the class. It is important to your learning experience that you read widely around the topics, and these texts are a great way to start your independent exploration.
‘Further readings’ widen and deepen the core topic, establish links to other issues, and push the discussion further than we might be able to in a given session. They will be of interest if you want to study the topic further and prepare for your presentation and the other course assessments.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Yih-Jye Hwang, y.c.huang@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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