"Sino-American relations are decisive for the fate of the world in the 21st century. This is felt in particular on the African continent. In the recent times, China’s relationship with African countries has been the object of much suspicion in American policy circles as well as the development and human rights community. This course is designed for graduates who are majoring in International Studies. The course will focus on a selection of writings on China’s policies on the African continent and U.S. responses to China’s venture into Africa. The course will look into different areas relevant for Sino-African relations like economy, security, global politics, development, and human rights. In a second step, the Chinese policies in these areas will be contrasted with American approaches and Sino-African relationship will be contextualized by the Sino-American relationship. Major themes include China’s proclaimed policy for Africa (win-win cooperation), Sino-American resource competition, and Sino-American conflict over values like democracy, human rights and good governance. At the conclusion of the course students will demonstrate their understanding of various areas of Sino-American competition in regards to the African continent. " close