2020-21 Academic Catalog

The role of China in world politics is the focus of this course. We will study the relationship between China and Zomia (regions of Southeast, South, and Central Asia), the South China Sea conflict, seaport and airport projects, gas-pipelines, OBOR, the ZTE-case, and several Chinese-led infrastructure projects. How is the Chinese model of political economic development different from and similar to the neoliberal economic model? How do contemporary Chinese policy and activities in Zomia, and around the world, explain the history and development of China’s centralized political order from the Qing dynasty to modern China?