• Class Number 8003
  • Term Code 3060
  • Class Info
  • Unit Value 6 units
  • Mode of Delivery In Person
  • COURSE CONVENER
    • Dr Denghua Zhang
  • LECTURER
    • Dr Denghua Zhang
  • Class Dates
  • Class Start Date 27/07/2020
  • Class End Date 30/10/2020
  • Census Date 31/08/2020
  • Last Date to Enrol 03/08/2020
SELT Survey Results

The re-emergence of China as a great power has raised important questions relating to its role in international politics and the likely consequences for world order. This course will critically assess China's evolving engagement with the outside world by looking at the close relationship between China's internal transitions, domestic institutions and social challenges on one side and its international policies and diplomacy on the other. It will consider new developments in Chinese foreign policy as well as key political, economic, and social changes taking place at the domestic level. Particular attention will be given to six main issues: (1) the interplay between traditional and new forms of Chinese diplomacy; (2) energy and resource security; (3) human rights and environmental responsibility; (4) Chinese institutions and political reform; (5) economic reform and world trade; and (6) Chinese societies and local-global linkages. By moving beyond the traditional international-domestic divide, the course aims to provide students with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the complexity of China's global engagement.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of China's foreign policies and the interplay between foreign policy and domestic politics
  2. Analyse key debates on Chinese foreign and security policy in the scholarly literature and critically analyse key factors influencing Chinese foreign policy
  3. Apply historical and conceptual knowledge of Chinese foreign policy to analyse China's contemporary international relations
  4. Develop strong written and oral skills for discussing and analysing Chinese foreign policy (such as in essays and class presentations)

Required Resources

  1. David Shambaugh, China Goes Global: The Partial Power (Oxford University Press, 2014)
  2. Thomas J. Christensen, The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power (New York: Norton, 2015).

For general texts on Chinese foreign policy it will be useful to read:

  • John W. Garver, China's Quest: The History of the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China (Oxford University Press, 2016).
  • Stuart Harris, China's Foreign Policy, (Polity Press, 2014).
  • Henry Kissinger, On China (New York: Penguin, 2012).
  • Robert Sutter, Chinese Foreign Relations: Power and Policy since the Cold War (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008).


For a discussion on imperial China's foreign relations that form an important background to modern Chinese foreign policy, it will be useful to read my book:

  • Feng Zhang, Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2015).


Students new to Chinese foreign policy might consult these reference books:

  • Robert Sutter, Historical Dictionary of Chinese Foreign Policy (Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, 2011).
  • Shaun Breslin, ed., Handbook of China's International Relations (London: Routledge, 2010).


Students unfamiliar with Chinese history and politics should also consult one of the following books:

  • Jonathan D. Spence, The Search for Modern China, Second Edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 1999).
  • John King Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China: A New History, Enlarged Edition (Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998).
  • Maurice Meisner, Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic, Third Edition (New York: The Free Press, 1999).
  • Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China: From Revolution to Reform, Second Edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 2003).
  • Rana Mitter, A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World (Oxford: University of Oxford Press, 2004).
  • Pamela Kyle Crossley, The Wobbling Pivot: China Since 1800, An Interpretive History (Malden, MA: Wiley- Blackwell, 2010).

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:
  • Written comments
  • Verbal comments
  • Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session Summary of Activities Assessment
1 Seminar 1 - 29/07/2020: Chinese Politics: Legitimacy in a One-Party State
2 Seminar 2 - 05/08/2020: Chinese Economy and Society: Growth and Stability
3 Seminar 3 - 12/08/2020: China's Military: What Kind of Challenge?
4 Seminar 4 - 19/08/2020: Relations with the West: the US, Australia, and Europe Short Essay due Thursday 20/08/2020, 11:55pm
5 Seminar 5 - 26/08/2020: A Bomb that Still Ticks: Taiwan
6 Seminar 6 - 02/09/2020: The Troubled Eastern Front: Japan and the East China Sea
7 Seminar 7 - 23/09/2020: The Obstreperous Ally: North Korea and Its Nuclear Program
8 Seminar 8 - 30/09/2020: The New Geopolitical Battleground: Southeast Asia and the South China Sea Research Essay due Thursday 01/10/2020, 11:55pm
9 Seminar 9 - 07/10/2020: The Eurasian Land Frontier: Russia, Central Asia, and South Asia
10 Seminar 10 - 14/10/2020: China Goes Global: Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Oceania
11 Seminar 11 - 21/10/2020: The Belt and Road Initiative: a New Grand Strategy?
12 Seminar 12 - 28/10/2020: China and Global Governance

Assessment Summary

Assessment task Value Due Date Return of assessment Learning Outcomes
Participation and Oral presentation 10 % 27/07/2020 28/11/2020 1,2,3,4
Short Essay 20 % 20/08/2020 06/09/2020 1,2,3,4
Research Essay 30 % 01/10/2020 15/10/2020 1,2,3,4
Take-home Exam 40 % 02/11/2020 03/12/2020 1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Value: 10 %
Due Date: 27/07/2020
Return of Assessment: 28/11/2020
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4

Participation and Oral presentation

This will be in-class seminar presentations. At each seminar, a small groups of students will be asked to present on the study questions of that seminar. You can either deliver your presentation individually, or make a joint group presentation (in which case the assessment of your presentation will be based on the group performance as a whole). Make sure you choose one of the study questions as your presentation topic. The whole presentation period should take no more than 25 minutes. As a rule of thumb, each student should speak for approximately 7 minutes. So make sure your presentation is concise, direct, and forceful!


The presentations will be assessed according to four key criteria: (1) the degree to which the presentation engages with the relevant literature beyond essential readings; (2) the degree to which the presentation provides analysis of the key issues and trends; (3) the degree to which the presentation reveals critical thinking in addressing the central question; and (4) the degree to which the presentation engages with the audience by raising salient questions and ideas for further discussion.


I will provide verbal feedback following your presentation.

Assessment Task 2

Value: 20 %
Due Date: 20/08/2020
Return of Assessment: 06/09/2020
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4

Short Essay

Write an essay of 1,000 words to answer one of the following questions:

  1. What factors explain the political longevity of the Chinese Communist Party?
  2. Why has Sino-US strategic competition intensified?
  3. How is China's rise affecting Australia's foreign policy?

Assessment Task 3

Value: 30 %
Due Date: 01/10/2020
Return of Assessment: 15/10/2020
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4

Research Essay

The research essay provides a deeper and more sophisticated analysis of seminar questions than the short essay. Write 2,000 words to answer one of the following questions:

  1. Why has the China-Japan relationship deteriorated since the early 2000s?
  2. Is the China-Russia relationship an alliance?
  3. Why is President Xi Jinping so vigorously promoting the Belt and Road Initiative?

Assessment Task 4

Value: 40 %
Due Date: 02/11/2020
Return of Assessment: 03/12/2020
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4

Take-home Exam

You will be asked to answer three questions in the take-home exam. These questions are drawn from the topics covered in this course and are linked to major debates about recent Chinese foreign policy.

Word limit: 2400 (800 words for each question)

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. OR Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).
Dr Denghua Zhang
6125 5744
U5265335@anu.edu.au

Research Interests


Denghua Zhang is a Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. His research focuses on Chinese foreign policy, foreign aid and China in the Pacific. His first book, A Cautious New Approach: China's Growing Trilateral Aid Cooperation, was published by the Australian National University Press in March 2020. His articles have appeared in Third World Quarterly, Pacific Review, Asian Journal of Political Science, the Round Table, Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, etc. He received his PhD from the Australian National University.

Dr Denghua Zhang

By Appointment
Dr Denghua Zhang
6125 5744
u5265335@anu.edu.au

Research Interests


Dr Denghua Zhang

By Appointment

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