40014 - International Relations of East Asia

Learning outcomes

This course is an overview of international relations of the East Asian region, which aims at broadly exploring the economic and political issues surrounding the Asia-Pacific rim. At the end of the course students will be able to examine a set of topics related to historical and contemporary patterns of state relations in East Asia, US security alliance in East Asia and the new Asian Pivot, the rise of China, nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula, territorial disputes, regional multilateral institutions, East Asian development models and economic integration, environmental challenges, energy security, and other related issues.

Course contents

Northeast Asia, a geographic area including the People's Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of China and the two Koreas, represents one of the most important regions in the world in terms of population, natural resources, trading and investment opportunities. Despite the outstanding economic performances, this region still remains unstable from the political point of view: the division of the Korean peninsula, territorial disputes between Japan and Russia and between Japan and China, complicated relations between Taipei and Beijing, without mentioning the debated role played by the United States in the region. The main task of this course is to shed light on the "nature" and problems in the relations among the main "regional" actors (including the United States), by examining the changes which have taken place, especially in the last decade. 

Readings/Bibliography

Required Readings:

Textbook:

M. Yahuda, The International Politics of Asia-Pacific, Routledge, 2011 (as a general introduction to the history of international relations of Asia)

The Korean Peninsula:

D. Kang and V. Cha, “The Debate over North Korea,” in Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 119, No. 2, 2004

C. Armstrong, "Inter-Korean Relations in Historical Perspective,"International Journal of Korean Unification Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2005

PRC: the new global and regional balance:

Dimensions of China's Rise and Principles of Foreign Policy:

A. Nathan and A. Scobell, "What Drives Chinese Foreign Policy" and "Who Runs Chinese Foreign Policy", Part 1 of the book China's Search for Security by the same authors, New York: Columbia University Press, 2012

Wang Jisi, “China's Search for a Grand Strategy: a Rising Great Power Finds its Way”, in Foreign Affairs, Vol. 90, No. 2, 2011

Feng Zhang, "The Rise of Chinese Exceptionalism in International Relations", in European Journal of International Relations, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2013

S. Zhao, "Chinese Foreign Policy as a Rising Power to Find Its Rightful Place", in Perceptions, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, 2013

Confronting China's Rise: US Perspectives

H. Clinton, “America's Pacific Century”, Foreign Policy, No. 189, 2011

R. Ross, “The Problem With The Pivot: Obama's New Asia Policy Is Unnecessary and Counterproductive”, in Foreign Affairs, Vol. 91, No. 6, 2011

Suisheng Zhao, "A New Model of Big Power Relations? China-US Strategic Rivalry and Balance of Power in the Asia-Pacific", in Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 24, No. 93, 2015

Japan and the Limitation to a New Sinocentric System

Yun Zhang, "Multilateral Means for Bilateral Ends: Japan, Regionalism and China-Japan-US Trilateral Dynamism", in Pacific Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2014

B.E.M. Gronning, "Japan's Shifting Military Priorities: Counterbalancing China's Rise", in Asian Security, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2014

J.W. Hornung, "Japan's Growing Hard Hedge Against China", in Asian Security, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2014

China's Policies of Continental and Maritime Southeast Asian States

M. Valencia, "The East China Sea Disputes: History, Status, and Ways Forward", in Asian Perspective, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2014

M. Taylor Fravel, “China's Strategy in the South China Sea”, in Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of Int.l and Strategic Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2011

A. Ba, "Staking Claims and Making Waves in the South China Sea: How Troubled Are the Waters?", in Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of Int.l and Strategic Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2011

China's Role in the Korean Peninsula

Jae Ho Chung and Myung-hae Choi, "Uncertain Allies or Uncomfortable Neighbors? Making Sense of China-NK Relations 1949-2010", in Pacific Review, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2013

H.J. Yoo, "The China Factor in the US-South Korea Alliance: the Perceived Usefulness of China in the Korean Peninsula", in Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 68, No. 1, 2014.

China, the "New Frontiers" and Energy Diplomacy

I. Taylor, "A challenge to the global liberal order? the growing Chinese relationship with Africa", in S. Breslin (ed.), Handbook of China's International Relations, London: Routledge, 2010

J. Dosch and D.S.G. Goodman, "China and Latin America: Complementarity, Competition, and Globalisation", in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2012

A. Fiori, "A Thirsty Dragon. China’s Oil Diplomacy", in A. Fiori, M. Dian, The Chinese Challenge to the Western Order, Trento: FBK Press, 2014

Japan's foreign policy:

C.W. Hughes, "Japan's foreign security relations and policies", in S. Pekkanen, J. Ravenhill, R. Foot (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the International Relations of Asia, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014

Y. Izumikawa, "Explaining Japanese Anti-militarism: Normative and Realist Constraints on Japan's Security Policy", in International Security, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2010

A. Sakaki, "Japan's Security Policy: A Shift in Direction Undr Abe?", SWP Research Paper, 2015

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and plenary discussions

Assessment methods

Final oral exam; however, students who attend the course will be also asked to write a policy paper on a specific topic (around 1.000 words). Active participation, careful and continuous reading of documents, and an active involvement in class activities are very welcome.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Fiori