U.S.-Japan-China Relations

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This MA-level graduate seminar will explore the post-1945 evolution and rapidly evolving contemporary reality of relations among the United States, Japan, and China. During the first half of the semester, we will explore the postwar history of trilateral relations and discuss competing explanations for Cold War-era competition and cooperation. During the second half of the semester, we will explore and debate U.S., Japanese, and Chinese approaches to 21st-century policy challenges regularly making global headlines, from security flashpoints (e.g., the Taiwan Strait, Korean Peninsula; maritime territorial disputes) and accelerating military competition to the future of free trade, economic “decoupling,” and regional order. Course readings will be drawn primarily from diplomatic history, international relations, and contemporary analyses of real-world events.