Phone: 2358-7816 Office: 2357 Office Hour: 14:00-15:00, Thursdays Instructional Assistant: Vanessa Lau (sovlau@ust.hk) Teaching Assistant: Kevin Chandra (kaa@connect.ust.hk)
Course Description
• The purpose of this introductory course is two-fold: to provide an overview of the
development in China from 1949 to the present; and to provide an analytic basis for understanding the on-going social and economic change in the country. Factual account of major events in the People’s Republic of China’s history will be integrated with discussions of the following thematic issues: (1) the historical and ideological origins of the post-1949 system in China, (2) the relationship between the structural design of the political economy and the leadership's search for solutions to economic growth and equity, (3) the methods by which the party-state has sought to penetrate and control the economy and society and to homogenize social life and culture, (4) the internal contradictions and crises of the Maoist system, (5) the driving forces of reform and adjustment, and (6) the ramifications of the decline of communism.
• After taking this course, the students should be able to (1) command comprehensive knowledge about the basic facets of the PRC’s politics, economic life, society and culture since 1949; (2) appreciate the importance of a critical and independent examination of the major events in China’s development; and (3) improve analytical skills to engage in fruitful discussions and debates about current affairs in the country. The achievement of these outcomes will be facilitated through reading pertinent book chapters written by established scholars on China, attending lectures on thematic issues, taking part in in-class discussions and tutorials, and making preparations for examinations that will test both the mastery of knowledge and the ability to discern and comprehend the causal linkages among relevant facts.
Requirements & Expectations
• Letter grades based on grade point total and relative standing in class will be used in the assessment of student performance.
• Students are required to attend classes and tutorials on time. Attendance will be checked at every class and tutorial after the add-drop period. Attendance accounts for 10% of the final grade points. Each failure to attend class or tutorial without the instructor’s approval will result in the loss of 1 point in the final grade point total. The maximum penalty for skipping classes and tutorials is 10 points for the entire duration of the course. More extensive
1 absence from classes without legitimate reasons will have further negative impact on the assignment of letter grade.
• A short Q&A period is included in each class. Further discussions are held during the bi- weekly tutorial sessions, where relevant video clips will be shown to supplement lectures and readings and to provide additional food for thought. Participation in class and tutorial discussions is strongly encouraged and accounts for 5% of the final grade points. Each student is required to raise questions or make comments at least 3 times (each of which earns 1.5 point in the final grade point total, plus a 0.5 bonus point for the third time) during the semester.
• There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam. The mid-term exam accounts for 35% of the final grade points, whereas the final exam contributes 50%. Both exams will take the form of open-book, multiple-choice questions. The final exam is not cumulative – i.e., the mid-term exam covers materials discussed in the first half of the semester and the final exam only covers materials discussed in the second half of the semester.
• Honesty in student conduct is expected. No cheating of any kind (including helping register attendance for classmates who are absent) is allowed. Violation of this rule will result in expulsion from the class, an “F” grade, and possibly further disciplinary action.
Reading Materials (on 2-hour reserve in the Library)
• William A. Joseph (ed.), Politics in China: An Introduction (Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 2010).
• Barry Naughton, The Chinese Economy: Transitions and Growth (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2007).
• Tony Saich, Governance and Politics of China (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012, 3rd edition).
• World Bank (with Development Research Center of the State Council, PR China). 2013. China 2030: Building A Modern, Harmonious and Creative Society. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
• Xiaowei Zang (ed.), Understanding Chinese Society (London & New York: Routledge, 2011/1st edition & 2015/2nd edition).
Sequence of Topics & Reading Assignments
Topic 1 Introduction
Naughton (Chapter 1); Joseph (Chapter 2)
2 Topic 2 Post-1949 Transformations
Saich (Chapters 3-4); Joseph (Chapters 3-4)
Topic 3 Government and Politics
Saich (Chapters 5-6)
Midterm exam (October 18)
Topic 4 Central Planning & Beginnings of Marketization: Rural Reforms
Naughton (Chapters 3, 10, 12)
World Bank (Part 1)
Topic 5 Internationalization, Broadening and Deepening of Marketization, and
