Home>Course>[CHES3107/CHES5149] China and Regional Order>

This course looks at China’s changing international relationships in Asia and beyond through frameworks and concepts in the International Relations (IR) literature. Part I sets out the context, Part II examines some of the main approaches in IR, while Part III applies these to questions of regionalism in East Asia, maritime politics, and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Part I: Introduction and context

The Historical Chinese World Order 

International Relations theory and its limitations 

Chinese foreign policy since 1949: ideas, institutions and debates 

II. China and Regional Order: contested frameworks

Offensive realism: Can China rise peacefully? 

Liberal International Order 

The English School and Regional Order 

Selected Chinese thinking on international order I 

Selected Chinese thinking on international order II 

III. Case studies: China and regional order in Asia

China and (East) Asian regionalism 

Maritime politics and regional order in East Asia 

The Belt and Road Initiative and regional/global order 

Conclusion