PSC300.1 : China: Rise of a Superpower
Description:
This course examines aspects of China’s history, such as the Opium Wars, the downfall of the Empire in 1911, the growth of nationalism and the ensuing civil war, the rise and decline of Maoism, and the role of China in world politics, with particular reference to its increasing economic importance. The spectacular 2008 Olympic Games underlined the extent to which China has become a major economic and political power, but 2008 was also the year when the long-predicted recession finally hit the USA economy – and that will have a profound effect on the Chinese economy. One way or another China will be much in the news this year and in the future. One constant theme in that news coverage is the ‘threat’ of China overtaking the US to become the world’s dominant economic power. The most obvious aspect of China’s recent economic growth has been its sheer speed, and it is this that largely fuels the idea of ‘threat’. However, what has less often been recognised is the unpredictability of China’s economic development. Time and time again the direction and pace of China’s economic growth have taken Westerners, as well as China’s rulers, by surprise.
Available Locations:
England
Semester(s) Offered:
Offered: Spring, Fall, Not Offered Fall 2009
Credits:
3
Department:
Political Science
