DWA 253 Security in Asia

China's return (as opposed to rise) to its proportional place in the global economy has arguably caused a pivot towards Asia by the United States. While America's hegemonic status in terms of hard (military) power remains undisputed, China's gross domestic product may surpass that of the United States as soon as 2017. This course is a seminar on Asian security, covering military security, non-traditional security, and economic and political security, among other dimensions. The course surveys the Asian region, with particular emphasis on Southeast Asia (the ASEAN countries, particularly Cambodia Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, and Singapore) and Northeast Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan). The material is divided into three parts. The first provides an overall introduction and overview of Asian security and focuses on the foundations of what was thought to be the Asian Miracle (created in part from a U.S. security umbrella), just as the Washington Consensus rose to prominence. It takes students through the Asian Financial Crisis and its aftermath. Part two of the class focuses on Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. It describes their development trajectories and security arrangements. Part three uses China as a platform to examine other parts of Asia not already covered, such as: China's relationship with Southeast Asia, and the political economy of non-traditional security, in particular the region's experience with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.