How has China's rise reshaped the world—and what comes next? This course offers a dynamic introduction to Chinese foreign policy, blending historical context with real-time analysis of current events. Students will trace China's evolving relations with major powers, regions, and global institutions, and evaluate how Beijing's choices affect security, prosperity, technology, and governance worldwide.
What you'll explore:
The ideas behind policy: how history, traditional political philosophy, geography, and domestic politics shape China's worldview and strategy.
Decision-making in practice: how China's Party-state system formulates foreign policy, with a close look at Xi Jinping–era priorities and institutions.
Tools of influence: trade and investment, infrastructure and connectivity, standards-setting, diplomacy, media, education, and digital governance.
China's evolving ties with key regions and powers: Southeast Asia (ASEAN and the South China Sea), South Asia (India–China dynamics), the Middle East (energy, security, and mediation), Europe (trade, tech, and norms), and, of course, the United States (strategic competition and managed interdependence).
Flashpoints and cooperation: maritime disputes, Taiwan, climate and energy, AI and tech competition, global health, migration, and development finance.
China in the world: participation in and redesign of regional and global institutions.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Explain key historical, ideological, and institutional drivers of Chinese foreign policy, citing primary and secondary sources.
2. Compare China's priorities across regions (Southeast Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, United States) and evaluate how they vary by issue area (security, trade/tech, governance).
3. Assess China's capabilities and constraints in achieving stated objectives using evidence-based indicators (economic leverage, military balance, institutional influence, domestic politics).
4. Apply analytical methods (case comparison, process-tracing, basic data analysis) to produce policy-relevant insights and forecasts.
5. Construct and defend policy options through clear argumentation, acknowledging uncertainties and counterarguments.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
- Oral communication: deliver concise briefings and respond to pointed Q&A.
- Written communication: produce policy memos and evidence-backed analytical reports.
- Negotiation and simulation: plan and execute bargaining strategies in crisis or summit role-plays.
- Cross-cultural competence: tailor messages and strategies to diverse stakeholders and political contexts.
- Problem solving under uncertainty: generate and stress-test scenarios; identify risks, trade-offs, and mitigation measures.
- Data literacy: locate, clean, and interpret basic datasets (trade, investment, sanctions, opinion polls) to support.