ITRL 270: China and the Indo-Pacific: The Rise of the Party-State (Newly added course)

Number of Sections: 1 | Day and Time: T & TH (19:00-20:40 ICT)

Course Description

This course examines China’s role in the Indo-Pacific through the lens of political power, governance, and regional order. Rather than treating China simply as a rising great power, the course analyzes China as a party-state whose domestic political system, development strategy, and security priorities fundamentally shape its external behavior. The course focuses on how China engages its surrounding region—particularly Southeast Asia and Taiwan—through economic integration, the Belt and Road Initiative, state-owned enterprises, diplomatic influence, and gray-zone security practices. Special attention is given to the varied responses of regional actors, highlighting why China’s influence is effective in some contexts yet constrained or counterproductive in others. The course also situates regional dynamics within the broader context of US–China rivalry and global strategic competition. Through a combination of scholarly readings, policy-oriented analyses, comparative case studies, and simulation-based exercises, students will develop a structured understanding of China’s power, its limits, and the strategic dilemmas facing states in the Indo-Pacific.

Prerequisites:

POL 100: Intro to Political Science