Singapore University of Social Sciences

Comparative Development of Hong Kong and Taiwan

Comparative Development of Hong Kong and Taiwan (CCS351)

Synopsis

CCS351 Comparative Development of Hong Kong and Taiwan compares the political economy of development in Taiwan and Hong Kong from the end of the 1940s to the present. The development trajectory of both Taiwan and Hong Kong was affected by western powers during the cold war era. Since the 1990s, the two economies’ development has mainly been impacted by China’s economic rise and Chinese policy changes. Despite the same source of influence over the past few decades, the consequences on Taiwan’s and Hong Kong’s economic structure, political system and industrial expansion are different. The different models of development demonstrate that the development of any Chinese society is not linear. Instead, there are developmental permutations and they arose out of specific historical, economic and political circumstances.

Level: 3
Credit Units: 5
Presentation Pattern: Every July
E-Learning: - Learning is done ENTIRELY online using interactive study materials in Canvas. Students receive guidance and support from online instructors via discussion forums and emails. There are no face-to-face sessions. If the course has an exam component, this will be administered on-campus. To be confirmed

Topics

  • What Do We Mean by Development
  • Theories of Development
  • US Aid in Taiwan’s Post-War Development
  • Sino-US Reconciliation and Taiwan’s Industrialization
  • Economic Convergence versus Political Divergence
  • Taiwan’s Economic Stagnation despite Improved Political Relations with China
  • Remaking British Hong Kong after WWII
  • From an Industrial City to an International Financial Centre
  • The Governance Crisis in Post-1997 Hong Kong
  • Sustaining Hong Kong’s Services after a Hollowing out of Manufacturing Production
  • Changing Economic Relations between Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China
  • Greater China in the Dynamic Regional Architecture

Learning Outcome

  • Examine the economic development pathways of Taiwan and Hong Kong;
  • Contrast Taiwan’s relations with the US during the cold war era and with China after the 1990s;
  • Discuss how relations with the US and China contributed to Taiwan’s development in different periods;
  • Compare Hong Kong’s relations with the UK during the cold war era and with China after the 1997;
  • Analyze how relations with the UK and China contributed to Hong Kong’s development in different periods;
  • Appraise China’s influence on the economies of Taiwan and Hong Kong;
  • Apply the theories of development to greater China;
  • Organize information from different societies.
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