China's Technological Rise

This course examines the causes and consequences of China’s rise as an economic and technological great power over the past four decades. It provides a theoretically-informed introduction to the political economy of contemporary China and to major debates surrounding China’s relations with the United States and its allies and partners. Topics covered include Chinese industrial and innovation policies, China’s capabilities in core technologies like semiconductors and artificial intelligence, the prospects for U.S.-China economic decoupling, the risk of conflict over Taiwan, the future trajectory of China’s rise, and more. At the end of this course, students will have a strong understanding of the main features of modern Chinese political economy, how China’s positions in the global economy and international system have changed in recent decades, and the implications of these transformations for U.S.-China strategic competition. They will also have learned to critically evaluate prominent theories in political science and international relations as they apply to China.