The aim of this course is to introduce students to China's contemporary international relations and the key institutions and issues shaping China's foreign policy.

This course may not be running this year. For further information please check the Politics Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Typically the course would be a 1 hr lecture + 2 x 1 hr seminars

None

None

Group presentation, with PowerPoints handed in, 10%

2000-word literature review, 45%

2000-word essay, 45%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

This course aims to introduce students to the major issues and approaches in the study of China's international relations. It will examine the key institutions and problems shaping China's foreign policy-making and introduce some of the important issues associated with China's rise as a great power. The course will consider and assess competing explanations for Chinese foreign policies in the light of contemporary international relations theory. Topics covered will include: post-Colonialism and China's place in international society, identity and security, the debate over whether China is a status quo or revisionist power, China's strategic futures, soft power, globalisation and "the China Model", Sino-US Relations, nationalisms and the geobody, the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, China's relations with its neighbours in East Asia as well as with Latin America or Africa.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ identify and understand the key institutions, issues and actors shaping China's international politics and its potential rise as a great power; 

■ critically evaluate different explanations of China's foreign policy choices and decision-making processes; 

■ apply concepts from contemporary international relations theory to critically assess China's foreign policies.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.