Module overview
After briefly considering the relevance of the traditional Chinese world order to contemporary Chinese political life, the module then focuses on two core themes: (1) Chinese domestic politics; (2) China’s external relations. Units on Chinese politics will address a variety of issues, including the origins of the Chinese communist revolution of 1949, the evolution of the party-state from 1949 to the present, the political economy of the Reform era, the roles of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Chinese political system, and politics of Hong Kong and Taiwan. The sessions on China’s foreign relations will examine topics such as the PRC’s decision to enter the Korean War, the rise and fall of Sino-Soviet alliance, Sino-U.S. normalization, the debate over the rise of China, China’s role in the global economy, China and international security, as well as China in global negotiations on climate change.