Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Historical Roots of US-China Relations
Historical Roots of US-China Relations
Knowledge check
Q1. Which 1844 agreement was the first formal treaty between the United States and China?
- A. Treaty of Nanjing
- B. Treaty of Wangxia ✓
- C. Treaty of Tianjin
- D. Convention of Peking
Why: The Treaty of Wangxia, signed in 1844, was the first formal treaty between the United States and the Qing dynasty. It granted American merchants trading rights at treaty ports, similar to privileges Britain had gained after the First Opium War.
Q2. What was the primary purpose of the Open Door Policy announced by Secretary of State John Hay in 1899?
- A. To end Chinese immigration to the United States
- B. To ensure equal trading access to China for all foreign powers ✓
- C. To establish a US colony in Manchuria
- D. To form a military alliance with Japan against Russia
Why: The Open Door Policy sought to preserve China's territorial and administrative integrity while guaranteeing that all nations had equal commercial access to Chinese markets, preventing any single power from monopolizing trade in spheres of influence.
Q3. Which US law, passed in 1882, barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States?
- A. The Naturalization Act
- B. The Foran Act
- C. The Chinese Exclusion Act ✓
- D. The Immigration Restriction Act
Why: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 suspended Chinese labor immigration for ten years and was later extended and made permanent. It was the first major US law restricting immigration based on nationality.
Q4. What major event in 1949 fundamentally reshaped US-China relations by establishing a new government on the mainland?
- A. The Korean War armistice
- B. The Communist Party's victory in the Chinese Civil War ✓
- C. The Nixon visit to Beijing
- D. The Tiananmen Square protests
Why: In 1949 the Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, defeated the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, which retreated to Taiwan. The US refused to recognize the new People's Republic of China for decades, maintaining ties with Taipei instead.
Q5. Which event in 1972 marked a major turning point toward normalized US-China relations?
- A. The signing of the Shanghai Communiqué ✓
- B. The Bandung Conference
- C. The Cuban Missile Crisis
- D. The Marshall Plan
Why: The Shanghai Communiqué, issued during President Nixon's 1972 visit to China, outlined a framework for improving relations and acknowledged the One China principle. It opened the path to formal diplomatic recognition in 1979.
Module 2
Module 2: Economic Interdependence and Trade Tensions
Economic Interdependence and Trade Tensions
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the following best describes economic interdependence between the United States and China?
- A. The two countries have almost no trade with each other
- B. The two countries' economies are closely linked through trade, investment, and supply chains ✓
- C. Only China depends on the United States economically
- D. Economic ties between the two countries ended after the Cold War
Why: Economic interdependence means the economies are mutually reliant through trade in goods and services, cross-border investment, and integrated supply chains, which is a defining feature of the US-China relationship.
Q2. What is a tariff?
- A. A government subsidy paid to exporters
- B. A tax imposed on imported goods ✓
- C. A limit on the amount of foreign currency a citizen can hold
- D. An agreement to share technology between countries
Why: A tariff is a tax placed on imported goods, which raises their price and is often used to protect domestic industries or as a tool in trade disputes.
Q3. What is a trade deficit?
- A. When a country exports more than it imports
- B. When a country imports more than it exports ✓
- C. When a country has no foreign trade at all
- D. When a country's currency loses value against all others
Why: A trade deficit occurs when the value of a country's imports exceeds the value of its exports. The US has run large trade deficits with China for many years, a central point of tension.
Q4. Which term describes the network of companies and processes that produce a product from raw materials to final delivery?
- A. Balance of payments
- B. Supply chain ✓
- C. Sovereign debt
- D. Exchange rate peg
Why: A supply chain is the full network of suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics involved in making and delivering a product. Many US and Chinese supply chains are deeply intertwined, which complicates decoupling efforts.
Q5. What does it mean when governments pursue 'decoupling' in the context of US-China relations?
- A. Merging their two economies into one market
- B. Reducing economic dependence and separating key industries, such as technology, from one another ✓
- C. Agreeing to share all intellectual property freely
- D. Ending all diplomatic contact between the two countries
Why: Decoupling refers to efforts to reduce reliance on each other, particularly in strategically sensitive sectors like semiconductors and telecommunications, in response to security and competition concerns.
Module 3
Module 3: Technology and the Race for Innovation
Technology and the Race for Innovation
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the following is widely considered the primary driver of technological competition between the United States and China?
- A. Disputes over fishing rights in the South China Sea
- B. Competition over leadership in advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence ✓
- C. Competing claims to Arctic mineral resources
- D. Differences in agricultural export policies
Why: Semiconductors and artificial intelligence are seen as foundational to economic growth and military power, making them central to the US-China technology rivalry. The other options involve real disputes but are not the main axis of technological competition.
Q2. What does the term 'export controls' generally refer to in the context of US-China technology relations?
- A. Tariffs placed on Chinese consumer goods
- B. Restrictions on the sale of certain advanced technologies and products to specific countries or companies ✓
- C. Limits on the number of Chinese students allowed in US universities
- D. Agreements to share patents between governments
Why: Export controls are government rules that restrict the transfer of sensitive technologies, such as advanced chips and chipmaking equipment, to designated foreign entities. They are a key tool the US has used to slow China's progress in high-end technology.
Q3. Why are semiconductors considered so strategically important?
- A. They are the main source of fuel for modern vehicles
- B. They power nearly all modern electronics, including computing, communications, and military systems ✓
- C. They are used mainly to produce textiles and clothing
- D. They are only needed for household appliances
Why: Semiconductors, or chips, are essential components in computers, smartphones, weapons systems, and countless other devices. Control over their design and production therefore has major economic and national security implications.
Q4. What is China's 'Made in China 2025' initiative?
- A. A plan to reduce China's manufacturing sector by 2025
- B. A government strategy aimed at making China a global leader in advanced technologies and manufacturing ✓
- C. A treaty with the United States on trade in electronics
- D. A program to send Chinese engineers abroad for training
Why: Launched in 2015, Made in China 2025 is a state-led plan to upgrade China's industrial base and achieve self-sufficiency and leadership in sectors such as robotics, semiconductors, and electric vehicles. It has been a major point of concern for US policymakers.
Q5. Which concept best describes the goal of the US in restricting certain technology transfers to China?
- A. Promoting free and open global markets for all goods
- B. Maintaining a technological lead for reasons of economic and national security ✓
- C. Reducing the cost of consumer electronics for Americans
- D. Encouraging cultural exchange between universities
Why: US officials argue that restricting access to cutting-edge technology helps preserve a lead that is vital for both economic competitiveness and national security. Critics argue such policies can also harm American companies and slow global innovation.
Module 4
Module 4: Military Power and Strategic Competition in Asia
Military Power and Strategic Competition in Asia
Knowledge check
Q1. Which term describes the Chinese military strategy aimed at preventing US forces from entering or operating freely within a defined region, such as the western Pacific?
- A. Forward defense
- B. Anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) ✓
- C. Collective security
- D. Deterrence by punishment
Why: Anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) refers to layered capabilities such as long-range missiles, submarines, and air defenses designed to keep adversary forces from approaching a region. It is central to China's strategy for complicating US military intervention near Taiwan and in the South China Sea.
Q2. What is the name of the US strategic initiative, announced in 2011, that sought to rebalance American military and diplomatic resources toward the Asia-Pacific region?
- A. Marshall Plan
- B. Containment Doctrine
- C. Pivot to Asia (Rebalance) ✓
- D. Extended Deterrence Initiative
Why: The Obama administration's Pivot to Asia, later called the Rebalance, aimed to shift military assets, diplomacy, and economic engagement toward Asia. It was a response to China's growing influence and the desire to maintain US presence in the region.
Q3. Which body of water, containing contested islands and vital shipping lanes, is a major focal point of US-China military tension?
- A. Sea of Japan
- B. Bay of Bengal
- C. South China Sea ✓
- D. Andaman Sea
Why: The South China Sea is a key flashpoint because China claims most of it through its nine-dash line, while several neighbors and the US contest those claims. It carries a large share of global maritime trade and contains disputed islands and reefs.
Q4. What does the term 'freedom of navigation operations' (FONOPs) refer to in the context of US-China rivalry?
- A. Joint US-China naval exercises
- B. US Navy transits near disputed features to challenge excessive maritime claims ✓
- C. Chinese commercial shipping protection missions
- D. Diplomatic talks on maritime trade rules
Why: FONOPs are US naval operations that sail or fly through waters and airspace claimed by other states beyond what international law permits, asserting the right of passage. The US conducts them in the South China Sea to contest China's expansive claims.
Q5. Which alliance network, linking the United States with countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, forms a cornerstone of US military presence in Asia?
- A. NATO
- B. ASEAN Defense Pact
- C. Hub-and-spoke bilateral alliance system ✓
- D. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Why: The US maintains a hub-and-spoke system of bilateral security alliances in Asia rather than a single multilateral alliance like NATO. Each spoke connects Washington to an individual partner, which shapes how regional security commitments are structured.
Module 5
Module 5: Diplomacy, Alliances, and Global Institutions
Diplomacy, Alliances, and Global Institutions
Knowledge check
Q1. Which regional security arrangement involving the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom was announced in 2021 to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific?
- A. NATO
- B. AUKUS ✓
- C. SEATO
- D. ASEAN Plus Three
Why: AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership announced in September 2021 under which the US and UK assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and cooperate on advanced technologies, partly as a response to China's growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific. NATO is a transatlantic alliance, SEATO was disbanded in 1977, and ASEAN Plus Three is an economic and political grouping that does not include a US security commitment.
Q2. What is the term for the US policy, articulated in the late 2010s, that emphasizes competition with China and Russia as the central organizing principle of American foreign and defense policy?
- A. Containment
- B. Great Power Competition ✓
- C. Engagement and Integration
- D. Détente
Why: The 2018 National Defense Strategy formally shifted US priorities toward 'great power competition' with China and Russia, replacing the earlier focus on counterterrorism. Containment was the Cold War strategy toward the Soviet Union, engagement and integration describes the earlier US approach toward China, and détente was a 1970s easing of Cold War tensions.
Q3. Which international economic initiative, launched by China in 2013, aims to build infrastructure and trade links across Asia, Europe, and Africa?
- A. Marshall Plan
- B. Trans-Pacific Partnership
- C. Belt and Road Initiative ✓
- D. Bretton Woods Agreement
Why: The Belt and Road Initiative, announced by President Xi Jinping in 2013, funds roads, railways, ports, and energy projects connecting China with partners across Eurasia and beyond. The Marshall Plan was a US aid program for postwar Europe, the Trans-Pacific Partnership was a trade agreement the US later withdrew from, and Bretton Woods created the post-WWII monetary system.
Q4. Which international institution, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, was created as an alternative source of development finance to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank?
- A. International Monetary Fund
- B. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ✓
- C. New Development Bank
- D. World Trade Organization
Why: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) began operations in 2016 with China as its largest shareholder and was designed to fund infrastructure across Asia, drawing criticism from the US, which argued it lacked adequate governance standards. The IMF and World Bank are long-established Bretton Woods institutions, and the WTO governs international trade rules; the New Development Bank is associated with BRICS countries rather than being headquartered in Beijing.
Q5. In the context of US-China rivalry, what does the term 'decoupling' most commonly refer to?
- A. Ending diplomatic relations between two countries
- B. Reducing economic and technological interdependence between the US and China ✓
- C. Forming a military alliance against a third country
- D. Withdrawing from the United Nations Security Council
Why: Decoupling describes efforts to reduce economic and technological ties between the US and China, such as restrictions on semiconductor exports, investment screening, and supply chain diversification. It does not mean severing diplomatic relations, which both countries maintain, and it is distinct from forming military alliances or leaving international bodies.
Module 6
Module 6: Ideology, Governance, and Human Rights
Ideology, Governance, and Human Rights
Knowledge check
Q1. In the US-China rivalry, which term best describes the competition between liberal democratic and authoritarian-led governance models?
- A. Economic protectionism
- B. Ideological competition ✓
- C. Maritime boundary dispute
- D. Nuclear arms control
Why: Ideological competition captures the contest between the US-backed liberal democratic model, centered on electoral politics and individual rights, and China's party-led model that emphasizes state-directed development and social stability. Economic, military, and territorial issues are important but are not the defining framing of this module.
Q2. Which of the following is a central principle China has promoted in its governance discourse as an alternative to Western liberal democracy?
- A. Multiparty electoral competition
- B. Independent judicial review of party policy
- C. Non-interference in domestic affairs of states ✓
- D. Universal suffrage for national legislative elections
Why: China frequently emphasizes non-interference in internal affairs, linked to its concept of state sovereignty, as a core norm of international relations. The other options describe features of liberal democratic systems, which China's governance model does not feature in the same way.
Q3. What is the primary US criticism regarding human rights in China that is often raised in bilateral relations?
- A. Excessive investment in renewable energy
- B. Restrictions on religious freedom, ethnic minority rights, and freedom of expression ✓
- C. Lack of a national healthcare system
- D. Overly generous social welfare spending
Why: US officials, reports, and legislation frequently cite concerns about restrictions on religious practice, treatment of ethnic minorities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans, and limits on speech and press freedom. The other options are not standard human rights criticisms.
Q4. What does the term 'soft power' mean in the context of ideological competition between the US and China?
- A. Military influence exercised through troop deployments
- B. The ability to shape others' preferences through attraction, culture, and values rather than coercion ✓
- C. Control of international financial institutions by voting shares
- D. Economic sanctions imposed on rival states
Why: Coined by Joseph Nye, soft power refers to influence through attraction, cultural appeal, political values, and foreign policy legitimacy. Both the US and China invest in soft power tools such as media, education exchanges, and development aid to build global appeal.
Q5. Which statement best describes how the US and China differ in their view of the relationship between economic development and political liberalization?
- A. The US argues economic growth inevitably leads to political liberalization, while China has largely prioritized stability and development under single-party rule without assuming democratization will follow. ✓
- B. Both countries agree that political liberalization must precede any economic development.
- C. China believes economic growth requires immediate multiparty elections.
- D. The US holds that economic development is irrelevant to governance outcomes.
Why: A long-standing US assumption, sometimes called modernization theory, holds that prosperity fosters a middle class that demands political rights. China's post-1978 reform experience has been presented as a counterexample, with the Chinese Communist Party emphasizing development and stability as foundations for legitimacy.
Module 7
Module 7: Future Scenarios for the Rivalry
Future Scenarios for the Rivalry
Knowledge check
Q1. Which term describes a future scenario in which the United States and China compete intensely across economic and military domains but avoid direct armed conflict?
- A. Cold Peace
- B. Managed Competition ✓
- C. Full Decoupling
- D. Hegemonic Transition War
Why: Managed Competition describes a scenario where the two powers rival each other in many areas while maintaining communication and guardrails to prevent direct military confrontation. It is widely discussed as a middle path between cooperation and open conflict.
Q2. What does 'decoupling' refer to in discussions of the US-China rivalry?
- A. Both countries agreeing to a shared currency
- B. The separation of economic, technological, and supply chain ties between the two countries ✓
- C. The withdrawal of US troops from the Asia-Pacific region
- D. China leaving the United Nations
Why: Decoupling means reducing economic and technological interdependence, such as shifting supply chains away from China or restricting technology transfers. It is a central concept when analyzing possible future paths of the rivalry.
Q3. Which future scenario is most closely associated with the idea of a 'Thucydides Trap'?
- A. A peaceful power transition with shared governance
- B. Rising powers and established powers inevitably going to war due to growing fear and rivalry ✓
- C. Economic integration leading to a single global market
- D. Regional blocs forming without any great power involvement
Why: The Thucydides Trap, coined by Graham Allison, refers to the historical pattern in which a rising power challenges a ruling power and the resulting tension often leads to war, drawing on the example of Sparta and Athens.
Q4. Which factor is most often cited as a potential driver of a cooperative future between the US and China?
- A. Shared challenges such as climate change and pandemic preparedness ✓
- B. Identical political systems
- C. A complete absence of trade between the two countries
- D. The elimination of all nuclear weapons
Why: Analysts point to transnational challenges like climate change, pandemics, and nuclear proliferation as areas where the two powers have incentives to cooperate, even amid broader rivalry.
Q5. In scenario planning, what is a 'wild card' event?
- A. A scheduled diplomatic summit between leaders
- B. A low-probability, high-impact event that could sharply alter the trajectory of the rivalry ✓
- C. A routine trade agreement renewal
- D. A long-term demographic trend that is easy to predict
Why: Wild cards are unlikely but highly consequential events, such as a Taiwan Strait crisis, a major economic collapse, or a leadership change, that can rapidly shift the rivalry onto a different path.