Introduction

This course explores the relationship between China and the United States and analyses whether China’s rapid rise will lead to greater cooperation or conflict with the US. The answer to this question will have profound implications for both countries and the wider international system. The free course introduces some of the contemporary issues in China-US relations and provides historical background on the evolution of relations between the two countries. It introduces and applies some key ideas drawn from the discipline of International Relations relating to interdependence, to assess the prospects for the future trajectory of relations between these two major powers. In covering this ground, you will be introduced to a wide range of terms, ideas and concepts, some of which may be quite new to you. However, it gives a taste of what studying international relations involves and one way of approaching the crucial task of understanding China–United States relations.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Show knowledge of the history of relations between China and the United States
• Describe problems of conflict and cooperation arising within the contemporary relationship between the United States and China
• Provide definitions of a range of concepts used in International Relations, including interdependence, relative and absolute gains, positive-, negative- and zero-sum games
• Demonstrate some of the ways the study of conflict and cooperation in the international system is analyzed by applying simple conceptual models, including defining different forms of interdependence; zero-, positive- and negative-sum games; and relative and absolute gains.