U.S.-China Relations from 1949 to the Present

The United States and China are the two most important global powers today, and the relationship between them is one of the most comprehensive, complex, and consequential major-power relations in the world. The tangled relationship is at times turbulent, and its future remains uncertain. This course studies the bilateral relationship from the Chinese Civil War to the rise of China as a major political and economic power in the 21st century. It invites students to explore the following questions: What have China and the U.S. done to confront or accommodate each other in global politics? How has foreign policy in both countries balanced the often competing goals of state security, economic stability, domestic political order, and international influence? What are the impacts of a rising China on geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region and on the U.S.'s global leadership in the 21st century? By drawing on scholarship in political and social history and area studies, this course helps students better understand both the historical context and current developments of U.S.-China relations. Fulfills modern elective for EALC major.