#  East Asian Studies 196. Political Geography of China 

 



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 ](https://locator.tlt.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-212563/2019/spring/18402) 

  [](/people/daniel-koss)

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 [D](/people/daniel-koss)[r. Daniel Koss](/people/daniel-koss)

 Putting Chinese politics on the map, this course asks how the government deals with the enormous challenges of ruling over a vast terrain with a diverse population, encompassing super-rich urban metropolises as well as poor rural peripheries. We begin with statecraft traditions from the late imperial era; and end with China's place on the future global maps of the 21st century. Topics include: macro-regions; priority zones of governance; Special Economic Zones; the Chinese equivalent of “blue states and red states;” rising inequality; ethnic minorities and borderlands; economic development models; urbanization and city planning; collective action in digital space; domestic and international migration; environmental politics; and the geo-politics of the “One Belt One Road” initiative. We will set aside class time for a hands-on introduction to producing and interpreting maps of China.

 [Course website](https://locator.tlt.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-212563/2019/spring/18402)