Course Description

On April 1, 2001 an American E-P3 reconnaissance plane and a Chinese F-8 jet fighter collided over the South China Sea.  The E-P3 made it safely to China’s Hainan Island; the F-8 tore apart and crashed.  Pilot Wang Wei is presumed dead.  A few days later, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called an unusual late-night news conference: “The United States should take full responsibility, make an apology to the Chinese government and people, and give us an explanation of its actions.” US Secretary of State Colin Powell initially responded with equal bluntness: “We have nothing to apologize for.”  After 11 days of intensive negotiations, Beijing released the 24 American servicemen being held in Hainan. Both sides quickly claimed victory. 

What should we make of this “apology diplomacy”?  As the above cartoon from the Baltimore Sun subtly suggests, many Americans have a very ambivalent image of China.  Is China a fearsome dragon out to upset the global balance of power?  Or is China a cuddly panda (here a cute dragon) that we can talk to?

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Chinese foreign policy, but may reveal as much about us as it does about China.  Why do we think and talk about China in the ways that we do?  Our assumptions about politics are derived from the American experience, so studying China should reveal quite a bit about who we are. But China is more than just a mirror.  With over a fifth of the world’s population (over 1.3 billion people), an enormous economy (a 2002 GDP of over 1.2 trillion), and the world’s largest standing army, China is intrinsically important.  Anyone who wishes to understand 21st century world politics needs to engage the China question.

The course is divided into five sections. It begins with key issues and concepts.  It then reviews China’s external relations prior to “Liberation” in 1949.  The focus here will be twofold: interrogating the idea of a “Tributary System” with China at the center, and the narrative of a “Century of Humiliation.” The third section introduces basic concepts from international relations theory in general and theories of foreign policy decision making in particular. The fourth section turns to the history of the PRC’s foreign relations, with an emphasis on Sino-American relations. The fifth and final section explores vital foreign policy issues confronting China in the 21st century: China’s relations with south and southeast Asia, the Taiwan issue, Sino-Japanese relations, and forecasting China’s future global role.

Readings

Sylabus