94303 - INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF EAST ASIA

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

This course explores the complex international relations of East Asia, with particular reference to Northeast Asia (Japan, China, the two Koreas, and the United States, which still plays a central role). Students will learn about these countries’ economic and political development, the processes of construction of their national identities, their foreign and security policies, and their role in the regional and global governance.

Contenuti

 

By the end of the course students should be able to demonstrate that they can:

Understand the major forces shaping the evolution of the regional order in Asia from the late 19^th century to the present; understand and critically evaluate the main sources of the foreign policy strategies of main East Asian states; identify and analyse the key causes of geopolitical competition as well as the main potential flashpoints for conflict in the region; familiarize with the emerging forms of regional governance.

 

Instructions for the course.

The course will follow the Y structure. This means that classes will be divided in Lectures and Seminars.

Lectures: the entire class will attend at the same time. Lectures are identified with an L (L1, L2, L3). This is the lower part of the Y.

Each seminar will be held twice. Each student will attend it once (upper part of the Y). They are identified with a S (S1a, S1b, S2a, S2b).

The A group will be formed by the first half of the class in alphabetical order. The B group by the second half. Seminars and lectures will be held in presence (unless new rules by the University and the Department explicitly asks to add a blended or on line modality to lectures and seminars for the year 2022-23).

Both for Lectures and for Seminars students are required to read the materials in advance. Students can find the readings and the other materials on the Virtuale page of the course.

Lectures will resemble traditional frontal classes, even if questions and comments are more than welcome.

Seminars will be different from traditional classes. They will be based on active participation and debates among students. Students will be invited to discuss different ideas and arguments, often taking a position. The class will be further divided in subgroups that will be invited to support different sides of an argument on specific issues and topics.

Consequently, preparing the readings in advance will be essential for the active attendance of the seminars.

At the end of the course each student will attend 12 lectures and 6 seminars

For each student, the total amount of hours is 34 hours of classroom activities. Since this amount is lower than the amount generally associated with an exam of 10 CFU (50hours), the course requires a slightly higher number of pages to read and an active participation during the seminars.

The evaluation will consist in : 30% of the grade active participation to seminars. 40% of the grade mid-term exams; 30% of the grade final oral exam.

 

1) China: from the Sino-centric system to the demise of the Qing Empire. (L1)

2) Japan: from the Meiji Era to World War Two. (L2)

3) World War Two in Asia and the Chinese Civil War (L3)

4) The Cold War in East Asia (L4)

5) China during the Mao Era (L5)

6) Deng Xiaoping and the Era of Reform and Opening (L6)

7) China: collective memory in the reform era (S1)

8) The Belt and Road Initiative and Xi’s blueprint for the regional order (S2)

9) China’s military modernization and territorial disputes in the South China Sea (S3).

10) Mid Term Exam

11) Japan: Foreign and defence policies in the post war era (L7)

12) Japan: Foreign and defence policies in the post-Cold War Era (L8)

13) Japan: collective memory and foreign policy in the post-War era (S4)

14) South Korea: domestic polarization and middle power diplomacy. (L9)

15) North Korea and the nuclear programme (S5)

16) The US in East Asia: From the end of the Cold War to the Pivot to Asia (L10)

17) Trump’s Legacy and Biden’s foreign policy in East Asia (S6)

18) South East Asia and ASEAN (L11)

19) Final Exam

Testi/Bibliografia

1) China from the Sino-centric system to the demise of the Qing dynasty. L1

Kang, D.C. (2010) Asia before the West. Five Centuries of Trade and Tribute. New York: Columbia University Press. Ch. 1.

Westad, O.A. (2014). Restless Empire. China and the World since 1750. Basic Books. Ch. 2

 

2) Japan from the Meiji Era to World War Two. L2

Pyle, K.B. (2007) Japan Rising. The Resurgence of Japanese power and purpose. Public Affairs, ch. 3

Zarakol, A. (2011). After defeat: How the East learned to live with the West . Cambridge University Press (p. 161-174.)

 

3) World War Two in Asia and the Chinese Civil War L3

The Encyclopedia Britannica. The Pacific War.

Mitter, R. (2016). The War Years 1937-1949. In J.N. Wasserstrom, The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern China. Pp. 150-178

 

4) The Cold War in East Asia. L4

Hasegawa, T. (2011). Introduction: East Asia- The Second Significant Front of the Cold War. In Hasehawa, T. (ed.) The Cold War in East Asia 1945-1991. Stanford University Press.

 

5) China during the Mao Era. L5

Schell, O., & Delury, J. (2014). Wealth and power: China's long march to the twenty-first century. Random House Trade Paperbacks (Mao II)

 

6) Deng Xiaoping and the Era of Reform and Opening. L6

Schell, O., & Delury, J. (2014). Wealth and power: China's long march to the twenty-first century. Random House Trade Paperbacks. (Deng I)

Gerwitz, J. (2019) Unlikely Partners. Chinese Reformers, Western Economists and the Making of Global China. Pg 1-14.

Schell, O. (2020) The Death of Engagement. The Wire China (the Cold War years)

 

7) China: collective memory during the reform era S1

Dian, M. (2017). Contested Memories in Chinese and Japanese Foreign Policy. Oxford: Elsevier. Ch.1-5 (selected parts)

Dian M. (2021) The 100 th anniversary of the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party and China’s collective memory. Istituto Ricerche e Analisi Difesa.

 

8) The Belt and Road Initiative and Xi’s blueprint for the regional order S2

Dian, M. (2021) China, the United States and the renegotiation of the regional economic order (unpublished working paper).

 

9) China’s military modernization and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. S3

Dian, M. (2021) China, the United States and military competition. (Unpublished working paper).

Council on Foreign Relations (2022) China’s maritime disputes.

 

10) MID TERM EXAM

 

11) Japan: foreign and defence policies in the post war era L7

Pyle, K. (2009). Japan rising: The resurgence of Japanese power and purpose. Public Affairs. Ch. 7-8. (selected parts).

 

12) Japan: foreign and defence policies in the Post-Cold War Era L8

Hughes, C.H., Patalano, A & Ward, R. (2021) Japan’s Grand Strategy: The Abe Era and Its Aftermath, Survival, 63:1, 125-160

Japanese MOFA (2020) The Indo Pacific Concept.

Maizland, L. (2022) The US-Japan Security Alliance. A backgrounder. Council of Foreign Relations.

 

13) Japan: collective memory and foreign policy S4

Dian, M. (2017). Contested Memories in Chinese and Japanese Foreign Policy. Elsevier. Ch. 2-3. Selected Parts.

 

14) South Korea: domestic polarization and middle power diplomacy. L9

Snyder, S.A. (2018). South Korea at the Crossroads Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers. Columbia University Press. 2018 Ch. 1.

Milani, M. (2019) Progressive and Conservative Visions of Inter-Korean relations. In Dian, M. Fiori, A. and Milani, M. The Korean Paradox. Domestic Political Divide and Foreign Policy in South Korea. London Routledge.

Congressional Research Service (2022) US-Korea Alliance. Report for Congress.

 

15) North Korea and the nuclear programme. S5

Panda, A. (2020) Kim Jong Un and the Bomb: Survival and Deterrence in North Korea. Oxford University Press (ch. 10)

Cha, V. D., & Kang, D. C. (2018). Nuclear North Korea: A debate on engagement strategies. Columbia University Press (chapter 7).

Congressional Research Service (2022). Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report. February 2022.

Terry, S.M., Brewer, E. (2021). It Is Time for a Realistic Bargain With North Korea. Foreign Affairs

Council of Foreign Relations (2022), North Korean Nuclear Negotiations

 

16) The US in East Asia: From the end of the Cold War to the Pivot to Asia L10

Green, M. J. (2017). By More Than Providence: Grand Strategy and American Power in the Asia Pacific Since 1783. Columbia University Press. Ch 1-8 (selected parts)

Schell, O. (2020) The Death of Engagement. The Wire China (post Cold War years)

 

17) Trump’s Legacy and Biden’s foreign policy in East Asia. S6

Baldaro, E., & Dian, M. (2018). Trump’s Grand Strategy and the Post-American World Order. Interdisciplinary Political Studies, 4(1), 17-45.

Ford, L. (2020) The Trump Administration and the Free and Open Indo Pacific. Brookings Institution.

18) South East Asia and ASEAN. L11

Lee, Hsien Loong (2020) The endangered Asian Century. Foreign Affairs. July August.

Jetschke, A. (2012) ASEAN. In Beeson, M., & Stubbs, R. (Eds.). Routledge handbook of Asian regionalism. Routledge.

Council of Foreign Relations (2022). A backgrounder What is ASEAN?

Metodi didattici

Frontal lectures, interactive seminars, presentations

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The evaluation will consist in : 30% of the grade active participation to seminars. 40% of the grade mid-term exams; 30% of the grade final oral exam.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Virtuale, videos, power point

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Matteo Dian