CHINESE STUDIES

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the contemporary challenges of China’s rise. Over the past two decades, China has emerged as a significant player in the international arena, and its economy is expected to soon become the largest in the world. Since President Xi Jinping took office in 2012, he has launched a more ambitious foreign policy. China’s global ascendance coincides with mounting challenges to the international community. However, often misleading, one-sided narratives are likely to be counterproductive in helping students understand China’s role and global ambitions. To this end, the course is divided into three parts. First, it provides a basic introduction to China’s historical exceptionalism and how it still affects its relations with the world, which is necessary background for understanding contemporary issues relating to China. Second, it encourages students to reflect on various controversies about China’s internal challenges and development. For example, does China’s fast economic growth reduce inequality? What has the Chinese government done about pollution and climate change? The third part of the course analyzes China’s role in the world, focusing on key domains of global interaction (political, economic, and cultural), as well as bilateral and regional relationships.

None. This is an elective course designed to be valuable both to those with no background in the study of China and to those who wish to deepen an existing knowledge of China.

By the end of the course ‘Chinese Studies’, students should: 1) Knowledge and Understanding: Be familiar and be able to describe competing viewpoints and approaches in the analysis of China’s relevance in world affairs; Have an understanding of major theoretical frameworks used to explain political change and economic development about modern and contemporary China; Acquired the “cultural literacy” and the “mind-set” needed to understand from the ‘inside’ the peculiarities of Asian cultures, notably the Sino-centric exceptionalism of China 2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: The student will be able to gradually apply the knowledge in relation to the key empirical characteristics of major events and key figures in contemporary China as well as their impacts in world affairs through the practical activities foreseen during the on-campus lectures, such as participation in the working groups, classroom debates, seminars by experts/ guest speakers; the student will also be able to develop analysis and synthesis skills related to dealing with China’s relevance to international politics issues. In addition, students will have further improved soft skills in accord with the objectives of the Luiss Master's programs: they will have improved their knowledge about the emerging challenge of China's rise and developed their awareness of the intricacies of global politics. 3) Autonomy of judgement: The student will be able to critically discuss the most important Chinese ‘actors’; their relevance in relation to the foreign policy decision-making processes within and outside the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The student will also have developed the necessary critical awareness to differentiate the most appropriate sources with regards to debates dealing with contemporary China, namely by distinguishing between academic, policy-oriented and journalistic sources. 4) Communication skills: The student will have gained the ability to communicate the notions learned thanks to the transversal skills (critical analysis skills, synthesis skills, ability to organize team work and team building) acquired during the course.

1. Introduction; the Sinic-Confucian World 2. Chinese schools of thought; Chinese exceptionalism 3. the Mao Zedong years; Deng Xiaoping and economic reforms 4. The Communist Party and Chinese Leadership; Political Elites & Elite Politics 5. Chinese civil society; Environmentalism in China 6. Public Diplomacy and Foreign Policy 7. China's relations with the Global South; China and the BRICS group 8. The Rise of Tech in China; China-US Trade War 9. China – EU relations; The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 10. China’s role in global governance; China & IFIs 11. China and the Asia-Pacific; China and COVID-19 12. Conclusions

Readings: 1) David Shambaugh (eds.), China and the World, Oxford University Press, 2020 (selected chapters) 2) Lee Jones and Shahar Hameiri, Fractured China. How State Transformation is shaping China's rise, Cambridge University Press, 2021 (selected chapters) 3) Sources available on Luiss learn (readings, and governmental documents, videos & podcasts) 4) ConnectedChina by Reuters http://connectedchina.reuters.com/ Recommended readings: 1) Jilin Xu, Rethinking China's Rise (edited and translated by David Ownby), Cambridge University Press, 2018 2) William Callahan, China: The Pessoptimist Nation, Oxford University Press, 2009 (selected chapters)

Lectures (on campus); case study discussion; presentations and team work; guest lectures by experts/invited speakers

Participation and attendance -25% of the final grade (including Weekly questions) Reading reflection – 25% of the final grade Students are required to submit a course reading reflection as a PDF file within the Midterm examination week. There is 1500 words limit for the course reading reflection. Group project work – 20% of the final grade Throughout the course, there will be short presentations (15 min) done by students in team (3-4 students). Topics for team presentations are discussed in class. The topic is assigned by the instructor and the team selects some aspects/key issues (case-study analysis) Policy Brief – 30% of the final grade

Strong interest about Chinese domestic politics, China’s economic development, China’s role in Global Affairs.