Fall 2014 - 62545 - PA388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy

China and the World

This course is designed to survey and analyze the foreign relations of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1949. Within this framework, special attention is devoted to China’s relationships with other major country actors in global and East Asian politics – including the United States, Russia, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China’s fast growing political and economic relationships with Africa and Latin America, and its expanding interactions with non-state actors, including multinational corporations, international advocacy groups, and transnational Islamist organizations (e.g. al Qaeda), will be examined to a lesser extent. We will first identify, and then compare and contrast, the historical trends and causal factors driving the PRC’s contemporary foreign policy towards different international actors. We will then apply this knowledge to draw conclusions and make projections about Beijing’s likely future international behavior and policy priorities.