Development and Geopolitics in East Asia

1. Development and Geopolitics in East Asia The aim of this module is to understand the rise of the East Asian region through analysing the interconnections between development and geopolitics. The module adopts an historical approach beginning with an examination of the legacies of European and Japanese imperialism and the subsequent role of post-war US hegemony and Cold War politics in shaping development across the region. It also examines the nature of the post-Cold War era for East Asia. The module also critically examines various theoretical frameworks and debates concerning late development, including realist IR theory, neoclassical development theory, state institutionalism, and theories of imperialism. The module thereby provides a unique means with which to examine contemporary shifts in the distribution of global power.

2. Seminar Outlines • Week 1 – Introduction. • Week 2 – Origins of East Asian development. This seminar examines debates on East Asia and the origins of capitalism. It examines the legacies of the 19th century meeting of East and West and how the experience of Japanese imperialism shapesd subsequent post-war developments. • Week 3 – The Cold War and the Rise of US hegemony in East Asia. This seminar explores the global conjuncture at the end of the Second World War. It provides an overview of the origins of East Asian capitalism and the immediate role of the US in shaping the post-war East Asian order. • Week 4 – The Northeast Asian Developmental State. This seminar involves a critical examination of dominant explanations of East Asian industrialisation. This will involve an examination of the distinctive institutions of the Japanese, Taiwanese and South Korean states, such as the state-bank-business nexus, within the context of the Cold War.

3. Seminar Outlines • Week 5 – Southeast Asia’s Dependent Development. From a comparative perspective, to what extent does the experience of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia resemble that of the Northeast Asian? What are the legacies of British colonialism as opposed to Japanese? What are the implications for the development-geopolitics nexus? • Week 6 – Chinese ‘Market Socialism.’ This seminar provides an overview of China’s post-1978 development. To what extent does China resemble the East Asian ‘miracle’ states? This seminar will also examine the effect that China’s development has on the East Asian regional system. • Week 7 – Labour and Capital in East Asia. To what extent have workers been affected by wider geopolitical and developmental experiences, and how in turn have they shaped them? What is the relationship between political authoritarianism and late development? • Week 8 – Causes and Consequences of the East Asian Crisis. Was the East Asian crisis caused by factors internal to the East Asian countries, i.e. crony capitalism and the “high-debt” model? Or was the crisis a consequence of “globalisation” and particularly of financial liberalisation?

4. Seminar Outlines • Week 9 – East Asian Regionalism. In the first decade of the 21st century, does the proliferation of regional institutions in East Asia signify an attempt to marginalise the political influence of the US? What are the barriers to EU-style regional community? • Week 10 –China and Africa: The New Imperialism?This session examines the extent to which China’s growth and search for resources have led to increased engagement with the African continent. It raises the question of to what extent China’s engagement can be seen as a case of ‘south-south’ solidarity or whether China’s global search for resources represents a ‘new imperialism.’ • Week 11 –North Korea: The Failure of Development. This session examines the failure of development in North Korea as a counter-factual case study in East Asian development. It also examines how recent tensions are situation in ongoing geopolitical transformations in the region. • Week 12 –China, East Asia, and the Future of US Hegemony. To what extent has there been a transition towards neoliberalism in East Asia? What are the implications of the recent global financial crisis? What are the implications of the rise of China for the rest of Asia and for the wider US-centred global political economy.