Chinese foreign policy

Lectures: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session

Discussions: 1 session / week, 1 hour / session

This lecture course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the international relations of the People’s Republic of China. China’s foreign relations during the Cold War as well as contemporary diplomatic, security and economic issues will be examined to identify and explain China’s foreign policy goals and their implementation since 1949. Throughout, this course will investigate the sources of conflict and cooperation in China’s behavior, assessing competing explanations for key events and policies. Readings will be drawn from political science, history, and international relations theory.

The course will have one two-hour general meeting and one one-hour discussion section per week for undergraduates. The two-hour general meeting will begin promptly at 3:05 pm and end at 4:55 pm.

Students will be expected to have completed each week’s reading assignments before the general meeting. Attendance is mandatory, including section.

Grades will be determined as follows:

Stay abreast of current developments through the Asia sections of the Washington Post, New York Times, and the BBC. For the latest developments in China, see Pacific Forum: Comparative Connections, China Leadership Monitor, and China Brief. Major news outlets in China have English editions, including the People's Daily, Liberation Army Daily, and Xinhua, the central news agency. Also, scan the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Council web sites.

If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact me immediately so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Make-up exams or extensions will not be granted except in case of emergency and in all cases require a note from the Dean or your doctor. Late work will be penalized by one third of a grade for each day that the assignment is late (e.g., a B to B-).

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is "a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work." This includes ideas as well as specific phrases, sentences or paragraphs. Do not misrepresent your own work . See Avoiding Plagiarism from MIT's Writing Center and MIT's rules regarding academic honesty.

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