74573 - Politics of Contemporary Asia

Learning outcomes

The main objective of this course is to provide the necessary tools to critically analyze the most important international issues in Pacific Asia. At the end of the course students will be able to analyze and understand 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

This course will survey some of the most important international issues of the East Asian region, aiming at broadly exploring the economic and political issues surrounding the Asia-Pacific rim. The first part of the course will examine respective theoretical and historical backgrounds of the countries in the region (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia) with a focus on political and economic development during the pre- and post-Cold War period. The second part of the course will cover various issues surrounding the region, including industrialization, globalization, economic interdependence, nuclear proliferation, security, regionalism, nationalism, and territorial disputes. 

Some of the main questions we will dwell on in the course are focused on but not limited to: the challenges that the East Asian region faces with the rise of China in the dynamics of both security and economy, ongoing territorial disputes that strongly affect trade and cooperation among the countries in the region, regional production networks and economic rivalry reflected in the dynamics of trade, U.S. economic and security interests in the region, the two Koreas and the question of unification, the ramifications of leadership changes that have occurred in Northeast Asian nations (China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea), and the nature of Asia-Europe relations.

Readings/Bibliography

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

- D. Shambaugh e M. Yahuda, International Relations of Asia, chapters 2-3, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014 (second edition)

PRC: the new global and regional balance:

D. Shambaugh, China's Goes Global, chapter 2, “China's Global Identities”, Oxford University Press, 2013

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

R. Sutter, US-Chinese relations: perilous past, pragmatic present, chapters 3-4-5, Rowman & Littlefield, 2012

S. Zhao, China's global search for energy security, chapter 7, “China's global search for energy security: cooperation and competition in Asia-Pacific”, Routledge, 2007

M. Li, Security in the South China Sea: China's Balancing Act and New Regional Dynamics, Working Paper, S. Rajaratnam School of Intern.l Studies, Singapore, 2008

The Korean Peninsula:

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

C.I. Moon, “The Sunshine Policy and the Korean summit: assessment and prospects,” in East Asian Review, Vol. 12, No. 4, 2000

A. Fiori and S. Kim, “Jasmine Does Not Bloom in Pyongyang. The Persistent Non-transition in North Korea,” Pacific Focus, Vol. 29, 2014

D. Kang, “The North Korean Issue, Park Geun-hye's Presidency, and the Possibility of Trust-Building on the Korean Peninsula,” International Journal of Korean Unification Studies, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2013

G.H. Park, “A New Kind of Korea: Building Trust between Seoul and Pyongyang,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 90, No. 5, 2011

United States presence in Asia:

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

K. Campbell, “Far Eastern Promises: Why Washington Should Focus on Asia”, in Foreign Affairs, Vol. 93, No. 3, 2014

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

E. Ratner, “Rebalancing to Asia with an Insecure China”, in Washington Quarterly, Spring 2013

D. Shambaugh, “Assessing the US Pivot to Asia”, in Strategic Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 2013

Maritime power

E. Montgomery, “Contested Primacy in the Western Pacific”, in International Security, Vol. 38, No. 4, 2014

J. Manicom, “China and American Seapower in East Asia: is accomodation possible?”, in Journal of Strategic Studies, Vol. 37, No. 3, 2014

Japan's role in Asia:

G. Hook, Japan's international relations, capp. 4, 6, 9, Routledge, 2011

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

Europe-Asia:

S. Bersick, "Europe's Role in Asia. Distant but Involved", in D. Shambaugh e M. Yahuda, International Relations of Asia, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014, pp. 275-338.

I non frequentanti dovranno aggiungere all'intera lista di letture anche un volume a scelta tra:

D. Roy, Return of the Dragon, New York, Columbia Un. Press, 2013;

V. Cha & D. Kang, Nuclear North Korea, New York, Columbia Un. Press, 2005;

R. Balme & B. Bridges, Europe-Asia Relations, Palgrave, 2008.

M. Beeson, Regionalism and Globalization in East Asia, Palgrave, 2014.

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 2.000 words). Active participation, careful and continuous reading of documents, and an active involvment in class activities are very welcome.

Teaching tools

Power Point and short clips.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Fiori