This first portion of the course, held in Ann Arbor, will introduce students to China and its policy and economic environments. Drawing on the expertise of Ford School faculty and outside guests, each class will focus on a different policy area. Themes will include (but are not limited to): 1) Government and civil society (including the Beijing bureaucracy, local politics, and the role of advocacy groups); 2) Economic development (including business, the emergence of a middle class, and rural development projects); 3) Environmental issues (including the Three Gorges Dam, pollution problems, and “green” energy projects); and 4) US/China relations (including Chinese perceptions of the west, international security issues such as Taiwan, and trade).