Security Issues in Japan and the Far East Asia - JMM461

• Title: Security Issues in Japan and the Far East Asia
• Guaranteed by: Department of North American Studies (23-KAS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2018 to 2018
• Semester: summer
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 24 / unknown (24)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Takashi Hosoda, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Takashi Hosoda, Ph.D.

Annotation

English

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Annotation:
Trump’s America First policy and “twitter-diplomacy" make security situation in the Far East region unpredictable and unstable. Many Asian countries puzzle over how to keep US commitment to the their national defense even though economic dependency on China has been increasing dramatically. In other words, they prefer securing national defense with U.S. military presence, even though they also attempt to achieve regional stability through neo-liberal economic interdependence with PRC.

For example, Japanese Abe administration tries to apple-polish Trump in order to keep leverage against PRC and secure its national defense with U.S. military deterrence including ‘nuclear umbrella.’ Recently re-elected ROC (Taiwan) president Tsai also attempts not only to increase self-reliance but also to promote more direct security cooperation with USA to assure national defense. South Korea Moon administration expresses importance of U.S. Force Korea (USFK) but Seoul seems to prefer to improve relations with DPRK and PRC, after the relations between ROK and PRC were seriously damaged due to ROK’s acceptance of American THAAD anti-missile system on its soil in 2016, and it makes military cooperation between USA, Japan and ROK more difficult. In contrast, North Korean leader Kim declared his intention to terminate so-called “DPRK-USA moratorium” about nuclear and missile development in the beginning of this year and suggests further development of “new strategic weapon. It is well known that DPRK continuously makes efforts to develop several type of ballistic missile with new liquid and solid fuel rocket engines and nuclear armament for securing its existence.

Especially, China has become more assertive with its 600% increase in real-term defense spending over the past 20 years and its second aircraft carrier Shandong is deployed in Hainan Island. Beijing started constructing its third carrier in Shanghai, as well. China increases its self-confidence about military capability and numerical superiority over coastal area of China including South China Sea, which should be a sanctuary for Chinese strategic submarines with nuclear missiles.

Though my lecture, I distribute not only basic knowledge and the latest information about actual security situation in Far East Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan) but also current security development in Indo-Pacific theater including South China Sea and Pacific Islands Forum states to understand and overview power shift in the region with international relations (IR) theories. It will help students to understand current security situation and correlation among the region to recognize the fact that regional stability, depends on American military presence and naïve security balance, has been eroded by China’s rising.

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Lucie Jůzová (27.01.2022)

Annotation:
In the era of increasingly intense persistent confrontation between the U.S. and China, Asian countries are struggling to maintain a balance between the U.S. and China, but there are differences in their responses, which are related to various factors such as each country's threat perception, historical background, strategic culture, and trade relations. In this lecture, while paying attention to these complex factors, I will explain the territorial issues and security concerns that could be the ignition point for destabilization of regional security in the Asian region. To do so, I also offer occasions to view the trends and status of security strategies, alliance policies, and military force development of Japan, the United States, China, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, ASEAN countries, and Russia as the fundamental knowledge to understand regional security architecture. The ultimate purpose of the lecture is to provide a bird's eye view of the security environment in Asia and to promote understanding of the regional security dynamics.
In particular, Xi Jinping's promotion of the "making China a maritime power" concept has brought about increased opportunities to challenge the U.S. maritime hegemony in the Asia-Pacific. Due to the increasing of China's conventional forces and economic influence, and erosion of U.S. military presence and influence in the western Pacific cannot be denied, the U.S. Biden administration has strengthened the offshore balancing approach (with Quad, AUKUS, FOIP, etc.) that unites allied and like-minded countries, but as a result, Asian countries are increasingly being forced to choose between the U.S. side or Chinese one. I will also explain the importance of multipolarization of regional security through increased involvement of Europe (but note that the UK's involvement is following the US and less impact for multipolarization).
Though my lecture, I distribute not only basic knowledge and the latest information about actual security situation in Asia (about the U.S., China, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, ASEAN countries, and Russia as major players) but also current security development in Indo-Pacific theater to overview power shift and diversifying security approaches in the region with international relations (IR) theories. It will also help students to understand increasing commitment and involvement of European countries such as France, UK, Netherlands, and the EU to the Indo-Pacific and their expected roles.

Aim of the course

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Aims of the course:

After completion of the course, the student will be able to explain current situation of major security issues in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The student is also expected to be able to discuss the historical and geopolitical factors related with the issues in the regions and apply IR theories to explain behavior of major players in regional security scene.

Course completion requirements

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Course assessment is based on A-F scale defined by Dean´s of the Faculty provision 17/2018 (https://www.fsv.cuni.cz/opatreni-dekanky-c-172018aj) obligatory for all courses and lecturers. Read the provision carefully before applying!

Course completion requirements

In Class behavior: 20%

Attendance: 40%

Essay: 40% 

Literature

English

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Reference Books:

Perry, Charles M. and Yoshihara Toshi.:

U.S-Japan Alliance: Preparing for Korean Reconciliation and Beyond, 2003

Cooney, Kevin and Sato Yoichiro.: The Rise of China and International Security:

America and East Asia Respond to the Rising Power, 2007

Ford, Glyn and Kwon Soyoung.: North Korea on the Brink: Struggle for Survival, 2007

Friedman, Edward.: China’s rise, Taiwan’s dilemmas, and international peace, 2005

Kim, Samuel S.: The two Korea and the great powers, 2006

Lim, Louisa.: The People’s Republic of Amnesia, 2014

Tow, William, Stuart, Douglas and Jimbo Ken.: The New US Strategy towards Asia: Adapting to the American Pivot, 2015
Wachman, Alan.: Why Taiwan?: Geostrategic Rationales for China's Territorial Integrity, 2007

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Lucie Jůzová (27.01.2022)

Buszunski, Leszek.: The South China Sea: an arena for great power strategic rivalry. In: T. Tran, J. Welfield, and T. Le (eds) Building a Normative Order in the South China Sea. Cheltenham, GL: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 68-91, 2019
Brose, Christian.: The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, 2020
Cooney, Kevin and Yoichiro, Sato.: The Rise of China and International Security:
America and East Asia Respond to the Rising Power, 2007
Ford, Glyn and Kwon Soyoung.: North Korea on the Brink: Struggle for Survival, 2007
Friedman, Edward.: China’s rise, Taiwan’s dilemmas, and international peace, 2005
Kim, Samuel S.: The two Korea and the great powers, 2006
Lim, Louisa.: The People’s Republic of Amnesia, 2014
Perry, Charles M. and Yoshihara, Toshi.:
U.S-Japan Alliance: Preparing for Korean Reconciliation and Beyond, 2003
Tow, William. Stuart, Douglas and Jimbo Ken.: The New US Strategy towards Asia: Adapting to the American Pivot, 2015
Turnbull, Malcolm. A Bigger Picture. London: Hardie Grant Books, 2020
Yoichiro, Sato.: Japan’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: The Old Geography and the New Strategic Reality. Journal of Indo-Pacific Affair. Winter 2019: pp. 107-119, 2019
Yoshihara, Toshi.: Dragon Against the Sun: Chinese Views of Japanese Seapower, 2020 Wachman, Alan.: Why Taiwan?: Geostrategic Rationales for China's Territorial Integrity, 2007

 

Teaching methods

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Methods of teaching:

Explaining major security issues mainly in East Asia and additionally in Southeast Asia with holistic approach of IR theories such as realism including neorealism, liberalism, and constructivism to explain behavior of actors, including the state, the military, and the nation, from competition to interdependence. Geopolitical explanation and adequate level of military/weapon technologies are also applied to explain the issues in the regions. 

 

Syllabus

English

Last update: Mgr. Jakub Šindelář (25.01.2021)

Syllabus for Summer Semester in 2020:

1. Introduction of lecture, Geopolitical feature of Asia (February 20)

2. Modern history of the region related with security (February 27)

3. Territorial disputes in Rimland area (March 5)

4. Arms race in the region and suppliers of weapons (March 12)

5. U.S. forward deployment strategy and U.S. forces in Japan (March 19)

6. PRC’s “Becoming a Great Maritime Power” strategy (March 26)

7. Abe’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” concept and JSDF (April 2)

* (Děkanské volno: No class on April 9)
* (No class due to academic research trip on April 16)

8. Tsai’s “saying No to China” and future of self-reliant defense policy (April 23)

9. PRC’s assertiveness in Southeast Asia (April 30)

10. DPRK’s WMD and possibility of reunification of Korea (May 7)
11. Russia’s pivot to Asia and future perspective of Asian security (May 14)

 

12. Russia’s pivot to Asia and military presence in the region (May 17)

 

Contact:

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Lucie Jůzová (27.01.2022)

 

1. Introduction of lecture, Geopolitical feature of Asia (February 17)

2. Modern history of the region related with security (February 24)

3. Territorial disputes in Rimland area (March 3)

4. Arms race in the region and suppliers of weapons (March 10)

5. U.S. forward deployment strategy and U.S. forces in Japan (March 17)

6. PRC’s “Becoming a Great Maritime Power” strategy (March 24)

7. Abe’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” concept and JSDF (March 31)
8. Tsai’s “saying No to China” and future of self-reliant defense policy (April 7)

9. PRC’s assertiveness in Southeast Asia (April 14)

10. DPRK’s WMD and possibility of reunification of Korea (April 21)
11. Russia’s pivot to Asia and involvement of European actors (April 28)

12. Future perspective of Asian security (May 5)