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 topics related to historical and contemporary patterns of state relations in East Asia, US security alliances in East Asia and the new Asian Pivot, the rise of China, nuclear crise 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—encompassing the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Taiwan—constitutes one of the world’s most strategically significant regions in terms of demography, natural resources, trade, and geopolitical competition.

Notwithstanding its impressive economic dynamism, the region remains characterized by persistent political volatility: the unresolved division of the Korean Peninsula, maritime and territorial disputes involving Japan, China, and Russia, and the intensifying tensions between Beijing and Taipei. The enduring yet contested strategic presence of the United States adds a further layer of complexity.

This course aims to provide a critical examination of the evolving political and economic relationships among Northeast Asia’s core actors, including the United States, with particular attention to developments over the past decade. Structural features of each country’s economic model will also be analyzed.

Readings/Bibliography

Historical Foundations of the Northeast Asian Order

• The Sinocentric regional order
• Japanese imperialism and colonialism
• The Cold War and the division of Northeast Asia
• The San Francisco System
• Historical legacies and contemporary regional politics

Kang, D. C. (2020). International order in historical East Asia: Tribute and hierarchy beyond Sinocentrism and Eurocentrism. International Organization, 74(1), 65–93.

China's Foreign Policy

• Evolution from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping
• Guiding principles of Chinese foreign policy
• Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy
• China's Global Initiatives (BRI, GSI, GDI and GCI)
• China's regional and global ambitions

Nathan, A. J. & Zhang, B. (2022). ‘A shared future for mankind’: Rhetoric and reality in Chinese foreign policy under Xi Jinping. Journal of Contemporary China, 31(133), 57–71.

Sutter, R. G. (2021). Xi Jinping’s vision of Chinese foreign policy: A coherent Chinese diplomatic strategy? In D. B. H. Denoon (Ed.), China’s grand strategy: A roadmap to global power? (pp. 68–90). New York University Press.

Zhou, J. (2019). China’s core interests and dilemma in foreign policy practice. Pacific Focus, 34(1), 31–54.

China–U.S. Relations

• Historical evolution of bilateral relations
• Strategic competition and great power rivalry
• Trade, technology and economic security
• Economic coercion
• Military competition and deterrence
• The impact of the war in Ukraine on Northeast Asia

Medeiros, E. S. (2019). The changing fundamentals of U.S.-China relations. The Washington Quarterly, 42(3), 93–119.

Zhang, B. (2022). From Defensive toward Offensive Realism: Strategic Competition and Continuities in the United States' China Policy. Journal of Contemporary China, 31(137), 793–809.

China–Taiwan Relations

• Historical evolution of Cross-Strait relations
• One China Principle and the 1992 Consensus
• Taiwan's political evolution
• Deterrence, coercion and grey-zone activities
• International dimensions of the Taiwan issue

Lin, D. (2022). “One China” and the cross-Taiwan Strait commitment problem. The China Quarterly, 252, 1094–1116.

Chen, Y.-J. (2022). "One China" Contention in China–Taiwan Relations: Law, Politics and Identity. The China Quarterly, 252, 1025–1044.

The Belt and Road Initiative

• Origins and evolution
• Strategic rationale
• Economic and geopolitical objectives
• Maritime and continental dimensions
• Financing mechanisms
• Challenges and future prospects

Huang, Y. (2016). Understanding China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Motivation, framework and assessment. China Economic Review, 40, 314–321.

Tekdal, V. (2018). China’s Belt and Road Initiative: At the crossroads of challenges and ambitions. The Pacific Review, 31(3), 373–390.

China's Peripheral Diplomacy and the Global South

• Peripheral diplomacy (周边外交)
• ASEAN
• South and Central Asia
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
• China–Africa relations
• China in Latin America and the Middle East
• South–South cooperation

Shinn, D. H. (2019). China–Africa ties in historical context. In A. Oqubay & J. Y. Lin (Eds.), China–Africa and an economic transformation (pp. 61–83). Oxford University Press.

Japan's Foreign Policy

• Historical evolution
• The Yoshida Doctrine
• Alliance with the United States
• Relations with China and the Koreas
• Regional diplomacy
• Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)

Teo, V. (2019). Recalibrating Japan’s foreign policy. In Japan’s arduous rejuvenation as a global power: Democratic resilience and the US–China challenge (pp. 195–223). Palgrave Macmillan.

Katsumata, H., & Shibuichi, D. (2023). Japan in the Indo-Pacific: Domestic politics and foreign policy. The Pacific Review, 36(2), 305–328.

Japan's Security Transformation

• Constitutional constraints
• Abe's legacy
• Collective self-defence
• National Security Strategy
• Defence modernisation
• Economic security
• The impact of the war in Ukraine on Japan's security policy
• Japan as a security actor

Capistrano, A. R., & Kurizaki, S. (2016). Japan’s changing defense posture and security relations in East Asia. The Korean Journal of International Studies, 14(1), 77–104.

Ryoko Nakano (2023). Japan and the liberal international order: Rules-based, multilateral, inclusive and localized. International Affairs, 99(4), 1421–1438.

Territorial Disputes in Northeast Asia

• UNCLOS and maritime claims
• East China Sea
• Dokdo/Takeshima
• Northern Territories/Southern Kurils
• South China Sea and China's maritime strategy
• Maritime security and nationalism

Kim, S. K. (2021). The Senkaku Islands dispute between Japan and China: A note on recent trends. Ocean Development & International Law, 52(3), 260–273.

Teixeira, V. A. G. (2021). The hegemony’s contest in the South China Sea. SAGE Open, 11(3), 1–15.

Raymond, M., & Welch, D. A. (2022). What’s really going on in the South China Sea? Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 41(2), 214–239.

Quyet, N. H. (2023). Chinese strategy in the South China Sea: A growing quest for vital economic and strategic interests. World Affairs, 186(3), 687–716.

South Korea in Northeast Asian International Relations

• Evolution of South Korean foreign policy
• Alliance with the United States
• Relations with China and Japan
• Middle-power diplomacy
• Global Pivotal State
• Economic security
• Defence diplomacy and arms exports
• The impact of the war in Ukraine on South Korea's international role

Kim, M.-h. (2023). Hedging between the United States and China? South Korea’s ideology-driven behavior and its implications for national security. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 23(1), 129–158.

Mo, J. (2017). South Korea’s middle power diplomacy: A case of growing compatibility between regional and global roles. International Journal, 71(4), 587–605.

Inter-Korean Relations

• Historical evolution
• Engagement and containment
• The Sunshine Policy
• Competing approaches to reunification
• The role of external actors
• Contemporary inter-Korean dynamics

Kim, S. H. (2017). Reasons for a policy of engagement with North Korea: The role of China. North Korean Review, 13(1), 85–93.

Kim, S. C., & Kang, D. C. (2009). Introduction: Engagement with North Korea. In S. C. Kim & D. C. Kang (Eds.), Engagement with North Korea: A viable alternative (pp. 1–15). State University of New York Press.

North Korea: Politics and Political Economy

• Political system
• Leadership succession
• Ideology
• Political economy
• Economic reforms and adaptation
• Regime resilience

Hong, Y. (2020). The Advance of Marketization in North Korea: Between Political Rigidity and Economic Flexibility. Modern Asian Studies, 54(3), 830–867.

North Korea's Foreign Relations and Nuclear Strategy

• Nuclear programme
• Missile development
• Deterrence strategy
• Relations with China
• Relations with Russia
• Relations with the United States
• Sanctions and diplomacy
• North Korea and the consequences of the war in Ukraine

Roy, D. (2010). Parsing Pyongyang’s strategy. Survival, 52(1), 111–136.

Yoo, I. (2024). North Korea's Nuclear Strategy: Limited Nuclear Use and Escalation Management. Pacific Focus, 39(3), 615–645.

Lee, M., & Lee, S. (2021). North Korea's Choice of a Nuclear Strategy: A Dynamic Approach. Defense & Security Analysis, 36(4), 377–397.

Teaching methods

The course is primarily based on frontal lectures, supported by occasional guided class discussions. Each session encourages critical engagement with theoretical and empirical material. Students are expected to actively participate in debate, formulate analytical questions, and connect contemporary regional developments with broader IR frameworks.

Assessment methods

Final oral exam. Careful and consistent engagement with the course materials, along with active participation in class activities, is highly encouraged.

Teaching tools

Teaching tools include PowerPoint presentations and selected short video clips used to illustrate key topics and stimulate discussion.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Fiori