Course Objectives

This course is intended to explain, from a perspective of economic geography, the features of contemporary international trade. All lectures will be based on an observation of the current situation of international trade worldwide. Apart from observation or statistical analysis, this course will also provide theoretical analyses, including theories and models in both international trade and economic geography. China will be a typical example for this lecture, offering both theoretical and empirical nutrition. By the end of this course, students are expected to understand and explain the current features of international trade from a more comprehensive and realistic aspect.

Course Requirements

1. This course is taught completely in English, including English textbooks, lectures, discussions, assignments and examinations. It requires that the students have intermediary level of listening, speaking, reading comprehension and writing skills in English.

2. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of economic and international trade theories before taking this course. Statistical analysis in students’ presentation should be a must. A certain number of reference articles and chapters should be read by students.

3. Students should be ready to be team players and develop the necessary skills of collecting and processing data, compiling information and making analysis with concepts and theories studied in this course.

Course Contents

Features of contemporary international trade from a geographical perspective

A big triangle----East Asia, North America and West Europe, and a small triangle----China, Japan/S. Korea and ASEAN

China and its contemporary international trade

Theoretical framework explaining contemporary international trade: from inter-industry trade to intra-product trade

GVC/GCC and international trade

GPN and international trade

Concentrated dispersion----industrial clusters and international trade

Basic model: the core-periphery structure

International trade and geographical distribution of value-added: based on VS index

Gravity, spatial concentration and international trade: a regression model

Trade balance and its geographical distribution: should China be blamed for the global imbalance?

International trade and the wealth and poverty of nations

International trade or intraregional trade----a global statistical analysis: The next possible geographical transfer of international trade   

Credits: 2