Asia is by far the world’s most economically dynamic region, but its security outlook has attracted much debate. Realists offer a pessimistic outlook that post-Cold War Asia seems “ripe for rivalry”, with major conflict looming between China and the US and drawing in other regional powers. Other perspectives, especially from liberal and constructivist scholars, challenge this pessimism. They point to the growing market-driven economic interdependence, institutional networks or shared norms as key forces for regional stability and order.

The course, thus, aims to introduce students to alternative ways of looking at Asia’s emerging security order using different theories and perspectives on international relations and to ascertain the extent to which they contribute to order/disorder in this vital region of the world. To this end, the course focuses on the key drivers of Asian security (including the balance of power, economic interdependence, regional institutions, domestic politics, and national identity, etc.). It uses these drivers to capture and analyze the main, if not all, issues and challenges in Asian security, such as those raised by the rise of China, the role of the United States and other major players, territorial disputes, arms race, digital transformation and the changing security architecture in Asia.