The course will expose the student to recent significant political developments in East Asia and their influence on the world scene with special attention focusing on their relations with the United States. The purpose is to impart a better appreciation of these developments based on an understanding of causal factors-- socio-political, economic and security. We will focus on the following political entities and the issues they are currently confronting in this course: China (PRC), Hong Kong, Taiwan (ROC), Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and North Korea. We will also consider the overall U.S. perspective regarding Asia toward the end of the course.