International Relationship Discussion

International Relationship Discussion

1.Compare and contrast realist and liberal internationalist theories on the consequences of China’s rise for regional security. In your view, which set of theories do a better job of explaining Chinese behavior in the Taiwan Strait, Korean Peninsula, South China Sea, or around the Senkaku-Diaoyu Islands (pick two of the four)?

2.Is Japanese foreign policy changing—particularly under Prime Minister Abe–and if so how and why?

3..What was—or is—China’s peaceful rise strategy and what is the logic driving it?

4.Southeast Asian countries appear divided—both among themselves and in each country individually—about China’s rise. Why?

5.Territorial disputes remain an important potential source of conflict. Review an example of a territorial dispute in Asia. What are the origins of these disputes? Why can’t the claimants settle these disputes peacefully?

6.The East Asian system of international relations is still affected by the Cold War. What was the US approach in East Asia during the Cold War? Would you characterize the US approach as containment or engagement? What were the consequences for politics today?

7.Make an argument for why the Korean peninsula is stable—or not.

8.In discussing the regional economy, we talked about the growing role of international production networks in East Asia. What are these networks and how might they affect international politics in the region?

9.The Asia-Pacific has seen the rise of a number of new international institutions, including economic ones. These differ in both membership and purpose. Outline some of the core features of the landscape of international institutions and why it might be changing.