To understand Global China, it's necessary to examine policies, practices, and ideas
Global Politics of China is a Masters-level course that provides students with a historical overview of the development of Chinese foreign and security policy, theoretical concepts for analyzing the making of Chinese foreign policy, and an up-to-date survey of China’s evolving relations around the world.
Since foreign policy-making is opaque in the PRC, the main challenge for teachers and students is how to interpret Chinese words and actions. Global Politics of China analyzes both official documents and the work of “non-official” intellectuals in China whose ideas, like the China Dream, influence domestic and foreign policy.
To explore how foreign policy is an everyday experience in the PRC, we study the impact of history textbooks, popular films, and propaganda videos. The goal is to critically understand how Chinese people see their role in the world.
Global Politics of China uses filmmaking to explore China’s international propaganda strategy. After studying the policy and content of propaganda, students learn how to make a YouTube-style 2-minute propaganda video using an iPad and iMovie software. This project is funded by the LSE’s Students-as-Producers program, and is co-taught with Darren Moon.
Syllabus of filmmaking section
Week 4: Lecture 4: Soft power and Sharp power: Propaganda and United Front work
Week 5: Lecture 5: Theory: How to make a propaganda video (Guest Lecture, D. Moon)
Seminar 1: Practice: How to make a propaganda video (with D. Moon)
Week 6: Reading week
Week 7: Seminar 2: View and comment on propaganda videos (with D. Moon)
Week 4: Lecture 4: Soft power and Sharp power: Propaganda and United Front work
Week 5: Lecture 5: Theory: How to make a propaganda video (Guest Lecture, D. Moon)
Seminar 1: Practice: How to make a propaganda video (with D. Moon)
Week 6: Reading week
Week 7: Seminar 2: View and comment on propaganda videos (with D. Moon)
