About this Course

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One of the most significant changes in the world in the past 30 years is the opening of China to the outside world and its engagement with that world. In the initial years of the opening, external forces influenced China’s economy, regional balances, bureaucracy, as well as the political authority of local leaders in the coastal areas. More recently, the world is feeling the effects of a rising China which seeks resources and talent from all around the globe and uses its financial wealth to strengthen its position in the world. This course tracks the opening of China up from 1978 until it joins the WTO, focusing on how the world affected China’s internal development. We then look at various aspects of China’s “going out strategy” — its search for energy, talent, as well as its relations with the United States and the states within the Asia-Pacific region. The instructor has been deeply engaged in research on all these topics, having lived in China during various stages of China’s opening to the outside world.
Course Overview video: https://youtu.be/7FpNL67EbE4

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.87/5 (16 Ratings)

David Zweig

Professor Emeritus of the Division of Social Science and Director of Center on China’s Transnational Relations

27,877 Learners

2 Courses

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Orientation and Module 1: China’s Opening to the Outside World, 1978-2000

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 83 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

9 videos

Course Overview3m0.1: Introduction to the Course - China and the World6m1.1: Explaining China’s Opening to the World, 1978-2000: “Second Image Reversed” and “Relative Prices”12m1.2: Explaining China’s Opening to the World, 1978-2000: Linkages, Leaders and Models7m1.3: Visualizing China’s Opening: From Autarky to Mercantilism5m1.4: Applying the Model to China’s Opening18m1.5: Case Study: Rural Joint Ventures and the Local Alliance with International Capital14m1.6: Case Study: China’s Decision to Join the World Trade Organization12m1.7: Conclusion to the Two Cases3m

2 readings

Assignments and Grading10mModule 1 Course Reading10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 130m

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Module 2: China’s Changing Relations with the World, 2000-2016

2 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 82 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

11 videos

2.1: International Structure: Realism and Constructivism11m2.2 International Political Economy and National Power10m2.3 Domestic Politics, Leadership and Foreign Policy2m2.4 Sino-US Relations: The Most Important Bi-lateral Relationship in the World7m2.5 Sino-Japanese Relations12m2.6 Sino-Russian Relations3m2.7 Relations with Taiwan and Hong Kong11m2.8 China’s Regional Ties3m2.9 China and ASEAN8m2.10 China and the Korean Peninsula4m2.11 China and Central Asia: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)5m

1 reading

Module 2 Course Reading10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 230m

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Module 3: China’s Global Search for Energy and Resources

2 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 81 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

10 videos

3.1 Going Out for Energy and Resources7m3.2 China’s Energy Anxiety4m3.3 China’s Strategies to Resolve Energy Anxiety8m3.4 Key Chinese Actors in Energy Diplomacy and Their Roles5m3.5 Key Actors Outside the Government9m3.6 Case Study: Iran – Balancing Energy Needs and Support for Non-Proliferation7m3.7 Case Study: Angola – Dealing with an Independent, Neutral and Tough Partner12m3.8 Case Study: Australia – Energy Diplomacy with a U.S. Strategic Ally7m3.9 Case Study: Australia’s Quixotic Policy Towards China – Trade’s Strategic Significance13m3.10 Module Conclusion4m

1 reading

Module 3 Course Reading10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 330m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Module 4: China’s Global Search for Talent and Technology, 1978-2016

3 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 93 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

15 videos

4.1: What Can States Do?5m4.2: Explaining China’s Success7m4.3 The History of the Policy4m4.4: Improving Policy After Tiananmen8m4.5: Bringing the Party Back In: The 1000 Talents Program (2002-2008)6m4.6: The 1000 Talents Program6m4.7: Evaluating 1000 Talents Policy and its Limits7m4.8: Case Study: Academics and Universities9m4.9: Academics and Universities: Current Reforms7m4.10: Case Study: Scientists and the Chinese Academy of Sciences5m4.11: The Need for Reform at the Chinese Academy of Sciences11m4.12: Case Study: Entrepreneurs and the Municipal Governments6m4.13: Entrepreneurs, Technology and the Search for Shortage3m4.14: Case Study: The Diaspora Option – Serving China from Abroad2m4.15: Module Conclusion1m

1 reading

Module 4 Course Reading10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 430m

Reviews

4.7

30 reviews

5 stars
79.33%
4 stars
17.35%
3 stars
0.82%
1 star
2.47%

TOP REVIEWS FROM CHINESE POLITICS PART 2 – CHINA AND THE WORLD

by YLMay 12, 2020

very useful course in understanding of china post 1978 till 2016. elaborate lectures and videos. kudos to the team being brief yet incisive and to the point. thanks and WARM REGARDS

by KMFeb 14, 2023

Great learning opportunity, and one of the best courses on coursera when studying Modern Chinese Politics, and their implications for the broader world.

by SJJan 2, 2021

Part 2 I still found very interesting, a lot of information new to me and enjoyed the panel discussion particularly at the last lesson

by ABFeb 6, 2020

Great course. Timeless information. Provides a backdrop for understanding China's political perspective today.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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Is financial aid available?
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Chinese Politics Part 2 – China and the World