Lesson 13: Understanding US-China Economic Relations

October 6, 2022

Review:

• Quiz 03
• 20th Century China
  • Watch the remainder of China: Rise of an Asian Giant (CNA – Singapore)
  • Watch China: Power and Prosperity (PBS Newshour)
  • Watch To Live (recommended, not required)

Presentation:

• Geography of East Asia and Southeast Asia
• Map Quiz Game

• US-China Trade Relations
  • Globalism: Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (4 min)
    • International cooperation
    • Address transnational issues, e.g., climate, refugees
    • Multilateral approach
    • UN, WHO, NATO, TPP, Paris Accord, Iran Nuclear
  • Nationalism: Trump’s Trade War (24:00 to 50:00)
    • International conflict
    • Deny or ignore transnational issues, e.g., climate, covid
    • Unilateral approach
    • Avoid or withdraw from international agreements/institutions
  • 2008 as Inflection Point
    • Beijing Olympics: drummers (4 min)
    • US Financial Crisis and loss of respect
  • Not a Trade War, a Techno-economic War
    • Car Industry as key indicator
    • Forced Tech Transfer
    • Corporatism creates internal conflicts
    • Dividing Sino-American business relationships
    • Yuval Noah Harari on the Future Economy and Job Losses (12:00 to 15:00)
  • Is Corporatism sufficiently competitive?
    • American companies focusing on short-term profits
    • Ignoring long-term investment opportunities
    • No strategic vision, no collaboration, no planning
• Asian Century
  • British Imperial Century (19th)
  • American Century (20th)
  • Asian Century (21st)
• Asian Economies
  • The “Chinese Commonwealth”
    • Tigers: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea
    • Tiger Cubs: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
    • Viet Nam’s economic miracle
  • Other major economies: India, Japan
• Contemporary China
  • Urbanization on a massive scale
  • Energy intensive growth
  • China investing in Africa, Latin America
    • to secure trade/geopolitical relationships
    • to ensure sources of food, raw materials

Assignment:

• Watch Nationalism vs Globalism with Yuval Harari (TED)
• Recommended (not required):
  • Understanding the Rise of China (TED Talk by Martin Jacques)
  • The Vietnam War (Ken Burns documentary)