China is the most influential non-democratic country in the world that exerts political and economic impact across a wide range of sectors and geographies. Today, international work requires at least a basic understanding of how China works and how international organizations work effectively with and in the country. International scholars, businesspeople, civil society practitioners, and journalists seek to understand and explain, shape and influence, and benefit from China’s rapidly developing economy and society. In so doing, these institutions and individuals encounter a political economy that defies traditional modernization theories that predict a high correlation between economic development and democratization. Rather, international actors encounter a system many scholars describe as “resilient authoritarianism,” characterized by opacity and predictability, rigidity and adaptability, repression and lenience, top-down and bottom-up governance, and by rhetoric aimed at international actors that is both welcoming and defensive. Most recently, given changes in the geopolitical environment, the political atmosphere related to China in the home countries of many international organizations is also shifting, and hardening, requiring multifaceted risk analysis and risk mitigation strategies. What is the nature of the Chinese political system? How have international actors navigated the contradictions in the system over time? What is the trajectory of the Chinese political system? And what are the implications for international organizations working there? This course explores these questions through five cases studies in the fields of academic exchange, business, civil society, multilateral diplomacy, and journalism to analyze how organizations manage their operations in China to achieve their goals. The course is taught by a practitioner who managed academic exchange programs, international businesses, and global NGOs in China for twenty-five years.
Instructor Permission Required.