BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
Content
Lecture 01 3
Readings lecture 02 8
R1: X. Zhangrun 8
R2: Zhang Weiwei 11
Lecture 02: China’s politics 13
Readings Lecture 03 18
R1: Dafydd Chapter 02 18
R2: Dafydd Chapter 03 21
R3: Dafydd Chapter 4 25
R4: Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement 28
Lecture 03 30
Tutorial 35
Readings lecture 04 36
R1: Fung and C. Chan 36
R2: F. Hualing 40
Lecture 04: Hong Kong and the “culture clash” with China 42
Reading Lecture 05: Korea’s politics 47
R1: J. Lie: The Wreck of the Sewol 47
R2: Political Conflicts and Democracy after Democratization 48
Lecture 05 53
Readings Lecture 06 57
R1: A. Isozaki 57
Lecture 06: North Korea 58
Readings Lecture 07: Nationalism 63
R1: K. Barak 63
R2: Y. He: History, Chinese Nationalism and the Emerging Sino-Japanese
Conflict 66
R3: K. Togo: Japan’s Historical Memory 69
Lecture 07: Rise of Nationalism in East Asia 70
Reading Lecture 08 76
R1: P. Giulio 76
G. Auton: Nationalism, Populism, Realism and the Intensification of East
Asia’s Maritime Disputes 77
1
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
P. Gulio: The China Challenge 81
Lecture 08: Territorial Disputes in East Asia 82
Tutorial 03: nationalism and disputes in East Asia 88
Readings Lecture 09 88
R1: Article “The Atlantic” 88
R2: How Xi Jinping’s “New Era” Should Have Ended US Debate on Beijing
Ambitions 89
R3: Video 90
Lecture 09: Rise of China 91
Readings Lecture 10 96
R1: K. Hasegawa: Continuities and discontinuities of Japan’s political activism
before and after the Fukushima disaster 96
R2: H. Cheng-yi Unpopular Sovereignty 100
Lecture 10: Civil society and social movements 101
Readings Lecture 11 105
R1: Mapping A Hundred Years of Activism 105
R2: L. Edwards: Chinese Feminism in a Transnational Frame 109
R3: B. Molony: Crossing Boundaries 112
Lecture 11: Feminism in East Asia 116
Tutorial 04 120
Lecture 12: Uyghurs and Ethnic Conflict 121
2
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
Lecture 01
● Rise of Japan was rather immediate and unique
○ Reindustrialized in record time
○ But actually a r elatively short time (1975-1989), followed by the “lost
decades” (1990-present)
● The b
ubble bursts in 1980s
○ Lost decades
○ Structure issues that the country doesn't seem to be able to get a
grip on
○ Rising n ationalism in association with the current prime-minister
○ Despite all pessimism, Japan is still a thriving and stable middle-class
society
● The Political system
○ Formed in the 1 880s, based on a model from Prussia (Bismarck), and
the first Western style one in Asia
■ Started to resemble Western democracy
● Similar parliamentary system
■ Unique system of election
○ One party dominant system
■ A situation has formed where one party is continuously the
dominant one (whilst retaining a democratic parliament),
which is highly unusual.
● LDP
○ 10 april 1946: Universal voting
○ 1947: c onstitution
■ Still determines politics today
■ Article 9
● “Aspiring sincerely to a n international peace based on
justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce
war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or
use of force as a means o f settling international
disputes”.
● Can o nly have defence, not offense; no foreign wars; no
armed forces → some want it to be revised, but very h ard
to change constitution
● Alternative: Japan Self Defence Forces (it is an army, but
is not called as one), though still constrained by
constitution and can only be used for defence.
■ Replaced a quasi-absolute monarchy with liberal democracy
■ Under the supervision of SCAP (US), but did have some
significant influence of liberal Japanese.
● Legacies
3
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
○ Yoshida Doctrine (1946 onwards)
■ Very i nfluential prime-minister
● Conservative but pro-US
● Economic reconstruction
● Relying on US for defence, insuring community of other
Asian countries of peace (more money spend on
economics)
○ Anpo treaty
■ Longest military alliance in modern history
■ Security guarantee (US safeguards Japan’s security and
remains basis in Japan)
■ Extremely divisive issue
● Escalation in 1960 (forced into choosing US’s side in Cold
War)
● Still today (especially resentment surrounding Okinawa)
○ Two houses
■ House of Councillors
● 6-year terms
● Cannot be dissolved prematurely
■ House of Representatives
● Lawmakers
● 4-year term
● Prematurely dissolved quite oftenly
○ Diet: Japanese parliament
■ Western tradition, but not used in Japan
■ Simply means parliament
● = house of representatives
■ FPTP → First Past the Post
● Problem: Majority of votes thus not needed (regional) →
US system
● Especially accentuated in rural areas, their votes count
more (US also, Wyoming and California both have 2
senators, whilst Wyoming is 46 times smaller than
California). Conservative views are thus
overrepresented. Unchanged law, pre-urbanisation →
major issue (Japan actually pretty non modernized,
because of the rural people it is not a priority)
■ Most powerful of the two houses
○ Emperor
■ Akihito (Heisei reign), now Naruhito (Reiwa reign)
● 1989-2019
■ Acts as symbol of the state, and has very few formal powers
■ No advisory role
■ Most act on advice of PM and Cabinet
○ The Prime Minister
■ Appointed by the emperor
4
Politics East Asia
Content
Lecture 01 3
Readings lecture 02 8
R1: X. Zhangrun 8
R2: Zhang Weiwei 11
Lecture 02: China’s politics 13
Readings Lecture 03 18
R1: Dafydd Chapter 02 18
R2: Dafydd Chapter 03 21
R3: Dafydd Chapter 4 25
R4: Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement 28
Lecture 03 30
Tutorial 35
Readings lecture 04 36
R1: Fung and C. Chan 36
R2: F. Hualing 40
Lecture 04: Hong Kong and the “culture clash” with China 42
Reading Lecture 05: Korea’s politics 47
R1: J. Lie: The Wreck of the Sewol 47
R2: Political Conflicts and Democracy after Democratization 48
Lecture 05 53
Readings Lecture 06 57
R1: A. Isozaki 57
Lecture 06: North Korea 58
Readings Lecture 07: Nationalism 63
R1: K. Barak 63
R2: Y. He: History, Chinese Nationalism and the Emerging Sino-Japanese
Conflict 66
R3: K. Togo: Japan’s Historical Memory 69
Lecture 07: Rise of Nationalism in East Asia 70
Reading Lecture 08 76
R1: P. Giulio 76
G. Auton: Nationalism, Populism, Realism and the Intensification of East
Asia’s Maritime Disputes 77
1
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
P. Gulio: The China Challenge 81
Lecture 08: Territorial Disputes in East Asia 82
Tutorial 03: nationalism and disputes in East Asia 88
Readings Lecture 09 88
R1: Article “The Atlantic” 88
R2: How Xi Jinping’s “New Era” Should Have Ended US Debate on Beijing
Ambitions 89
R3: Video 90
Lecture 09: Rise of China 91
Readings Lecture 10 96
R1: K. Hasegawa: Continuities and discontinuities of Japan’s political activism
before and after the Fukushima disaster 96
R2: H. Cheng-yi Unpopular Sovereignty 100
Lecture 10: Civil society and social movements 101
Readings Lecture 11 105
R1: Mapping A Hundred Years of Activism 105
R2: L. Edwards: Chinese Feminism in a Transnational Frame 109
R3: B. Molony: Crossing Boundaries 112
Lecture 11: Feminism in East Asia 116
Tutorial 04 120
Lecture 12: Uyghurs and Ethnic Conflict 121
2
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
Lecture 01
● Rise of Japan was rather immediate and unique
○ Reindustrialized in record time
○ But actually a r elatively short time (1975-1989), followed by the “lost
decades” (1990-present)
● The b
ubble bursts in 1980s
○ Lost decades
○ Structure issues that the country doesn't seem to be able to get a
grip on
○ Rising n ationalism in association with the current prime-minister
○ Despite all pessimism, Japan is still a thriving and stable middle-class
society
● The Political system
○ Formed in the 1 880s, based on a model from Prussia (Bismarck), and
the first Western style one in Asia
■ Started to resemble Western democracy
● Similar parliamentary system
■ Unique system of election
○ One party dominant system
■ A situation has formed where one party is continuously the
dominant one (whilst retaining a democratic parliament),
which is highly unusual.
● LDP
○ 10 april 1946: Universal voting
○ 1947: c onstitution
■ Still determines politics today
■ Article 9
● “Aspiring sincerely to a n international peace based on
justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce
war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or
use of force as a means o f settling international
disputes”.
● Can o nly have defence, not offense; no foreign wars; no
armed forces → some want it to be revised, but very h ard
to change constitution
● Alternative: Japan Self Defence Forces (it is an army, but
is not called as one), though still constrained by
constitution and can only be used for defence.
■ Replaced a quasi-absolute monarchy with liberal democracy
■ Under the supervision of SCAP (US), but did have some
significant influence of liberal Japanese.
● Legacies
3
, BA International Studies
Politics East Asia
○ Yoshida Doctrine (1946 onwards)
■ Very i nfluential prime-minister
● Conservative but pro-US
● Economic reconstruction
● Relying on US for defence, insuring community of other
Asian countries of peace (more money spend on
economics)
○ Anpo treaty
■ Longest military alliance in modern history
■ Security guarantee (US safeguards Japan’s security and
remains basis in Japan)
■ Extremely divisive issue
● Escalation in 1960 (forced into choosing US’s side in Cold
War)
● Still today (especially resentment surrounding Okinawa)
○ Two houses
■ House of Councillors
● 6-year terms
● Cannot be dissolved prematurely
■ House of Representatives
● Lawmakers
● 4-year term
● Prematurely dissolved quite oftenly
○ Diet: Japanese parliament
■ Western tradition, but not used in Japan
■ Simply means parliament
● = house of representatives
■ FPTP → First Past the Post
● Problem: Majority of votes thus not needed (regional) →
US system
● Especially accentuated in rural areas, their votes count
more (US also, Wyoming and California both have 2
senators, whilst Wyoming is 46 times smaller than
California). Conservative views are thus
overrepresented. Unchanged law, pre-urbanisation →
major issue (Japan actually pretty non modernized,
because of the rural people it is not a priority)
■ Most powerful of the two houses
○ Emperor
■ Akihito (Heisei reign), now Naruhito (Reiwa reign)
● 1989-2019
■ Acts as symbol of the state, and has very few formal powers
■ No advisory role
■ Most act on advice of PM and Cabinet
○ The Prime Minister
■ Appointed by the emperor
4
