We start this course by travelling back in time to Imperial China. We explore the debate around the effectiveness of morality and ethics, reinforced by societal shame if breached. We then compare this to models relying on formal rules and laws, with breaches punished financially or physically. Confucian China preferred the former approach, though the Imperial Court dabbled in the latter at times in its history.

With a solid footing in the Imperial period, we explore the impact of European arrivals, in particular the so-called "century of shame." We then move forward to modern China, examining the civil war period and the victory of the Communists. We then trace the evolution of communism in China, investigating periods of extreme control including over thought, expression, and life itself.

Finally, we look at China's shift to a market economy and consider how that works within a Communist/socialist framework. China's joining of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was a game-changer for international trade, with huge repercussions for China and the rest of the world. The "peaceful rise" of China is perhaps the most important geopolitical development of the 21st century.