Power and conflict: The international politics of the Asia Pacific

In this unit, you will analyse the factors that shape the international relations and foreign policies of Asia Pacific states. In the first part of the unit, you will examine the different forms of modernisation and related ideologies that shape the Asia Pacific region. You will then undertake a series of country studies to examine how domestic and international factors shape a state’s foreign policy and state to state relations. Topics for study may include Japan’s military modernisation and national identity, China’s response to the liberal international order, the contest between North and South Korea, ASEAN’s attempt to mitigate conflict between the US and China, the “history wars” between China, Japan and the Koreas, and the US as an ‘exceptional state’ with a ‘manifest destiny'.  In undertaking these studies, you will explore competing visions of national interest within states.

While building on first year Global Studies units, this unit assumes no prior knowledge.