USA

RUSSIA

- Northern European plain (its flat land all the way)

- We must control the land up to there so that we can defend Ouse,f
- Indefensibility, no rivers, oceans, swamps or mountains marking its borders
- Russian expansionism — provide a buffer zone necessary to deal with external threats
- Expansion outwards till it reaches natural barriers
- East, west, south were always consistently vulnerable and face enemies

- extending to Western Europe (used to be friendly)

- These Western Europe countries have all joined NATO
- Invaded by Mongols, Western European states (France and Germany)
- Highly centralised and autocratic leadership obsessed with internal and external security
(impact)
- Highly authoritarian to guard such a large piece of land
- Geography shapes the
- Russia (core) concentrated with agricultural / Population
- If you retreat, you are leaving all your agricultural/population behind
- Average 22 degrees in Russia (that region) really cold
- Unproductive land (uninhabitable) might become > habitable due to global warming

- Russia has no proper port for stable navy development

- Inability to project naval power because of warm water ports
- sea trade is cheaper
How might geopolitics help explain Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine ?
- Moscow (Russia’s core) is near Western Europe, its very dangerous for Ukraine to become
part of NATO, and eliminate threats
- Reunite USSR
- Warm water port access to the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine (though exit of Black Sea is still
controlled by Bulgaria and Turkey)
- Initially had an agreement with Ukraine to share the Black Sea (Sevastopol)
- Donbas is an industrialised region with large coal reserves
- Landbridge to Crimea (vital military and trading hub)

CHINA

How are China’s borders well protected

● “Attack as defence” strategy
● Natural defences like Mountains and Deserts
○ Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau
○ Gobi Desert
Why was the Great World of China built?
● To protect China from invaders (from the north)
● To protect the Heartland which contained most of China’s agriculture
● To protect Silk Road
● World’s longest human-made structure

What helped to unite the north and south of China?

● The Grand Canal (World’s longest human-made waterway)
○ Links the Yellow River and Yangtze River together allowing goods to be
transported

Why was the ancient silk road important to China?

● Trade linking China to Eastern Europe
● Generate trade and commerce
● Boosted the economy and reputation of China

​How is the Himalayan Mountain important to China?

● Runs the length of the border between China and India
● Natural defence barrier

Why is Tibet important to China?

● Lies next to India’s borders
○ Natural defence of higher ground (Tibetan Plateau)
○ Rivers flow from highland to lowland
○ Natural buffer zone
● Source of China’s great rivers: Yellow River, Yangtze River, Mekong River
○ Ensuring water security
What is the name of the Chinese heartland?
● North China Plain

Why is the Yellow River important?

● An important source of water
○ BUT it causes frequent and devastating floods
○ It also became heavily polluted after industrialization
● Helps create fertile land especially in the Eastern area of China

Which part of China has an ideal climate for growing crops, such as wheat, rice and
soybeans?
● North China Plains and North East China Plains
● These plains had two main rivers + climate for double cropping
● Han people’s origin

What is one of the challenges of having the largest population in the world?
● Producing enough food to feed everyone

Why have a number of countries tried to invade China?

● They lack natural defence barriers
● 11th and 13th Century, Mongols invaded from the north
● 17th Century, Manchu people invaded the northern region of Manchuria
● Both m groups were regarded as Barbarians
● 19th Century, Opium wars (British + French)
○ China was forced to give up important plots of land
○ Create Hong Kong’s political problem now
● 1931, 1937, invaded by Japan
○ Japanese occupied most of the heartland, Manchuria and Inner Mongolia
○ Left after defeating by WW2
● The century of humiliation

Why does China need global shipping lanes? (BRI)

● They are the biggest manufacturer and they are selling products all over the world
○ They need access to global shipping lanes for its goods to get to the market
○ They need things to make these goods like oil, gas and precious metals to get
into China

Why is the S China Sea important to China?

● The only route to reach open seas is through South China Seas, passing through 3
islands
○ East China Seas (Sea of Japan) is controlled by Japan (an ally of the US)
● In times of war, trading routes will be easily blocked
Why will China continue to build up its navy to rival the USA?
● It had secured its landmass to secure borders with natural defences
● Now, it had to project power around the world through seas
○ Controlling the seas is crucial to protect trades + territorial claims

Where is the province of Xinjiang?

● The north-eastern part of China
● China’s largest province with significant oil and gas reserves
● Known as the silk road gateway to the west
○ Facilitating trade with the Eurasian heartland and Russia
○ China's access to European and Middle Eastern markets

Which part of China is extremely dry?

● Northern China
○ Gobi Desert
○ Taklamakan Desert

Where are the poor regions in China?

● Further inland (regions not near the sea)
○ Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou

Where are the least populated and non-Han regions?

● Tibet
● Xinjiang
How did the physical and cultural geography of China impact China’s development
● Prosperity and rivers
● Unifying a large land mass
● Secure its borders through NATURAL DEFENCES
● Use attack as a defence to expand and secure these barriers
○ Eg. Tibet and Xinjiang
● Chinese heartland
○ Centre of Han Chinese civilisation
○ Agriculture, the discovery of paper and gunpowder
● North China plains
○ Two rivers Yangtze and Yellow river
○ Favourable climate for double cropping of rice and soya
○ When you have sufficient food resources, you can go and work in other sectors
● Created a buffer zone around the heartland
● Building of major highways across China (connectivity)
○ Flooding Xinjiang and Tibet with Hans
○ Relive population pressure in Eastern China to avoid Overpopulation (social
tension)

Territorial disputes
● South China Seas
● What geopolitical problems would control over the SCS solve for China
○ China is not entirely food sufficient so they fear a blockade of the trade from the
south China seas
○ Control/Fracturing US alliances by blocking their trade
○ Oil reserves and natural gas
○ Secure default control
● What reasons does China provide financial justify its claims over the SCS
○ Disputed
● Are these reasons valid

China’s Belt and Road Initiative

● Collaboration with other countries
● Shared benefits with other countries
● Boosting economic trade
● China building all the things that are required to trade w other countries
○ Building infrastructure focused on the old silk road
● China gets something out of this
○ Win influence globally
○ Tangible economic benefits — Import goods from other countries
○ Debt trap – facilitate loaning of ports for military ships stations
● What image does China portray?
○ Extensive consultation, mutual responsibility, shared benefits
 ● Chinese attempts to project influence
○ Influence in Africa
○ Belt and Road Initiative

ECONOMIC BELT

MARITIME SILK ROAD

China's Belt and Road Initiative

Watch the video, read the articles and discuss the following questions:

(1) What benefits does China gain from the Belt and Road initiative?
(2) How does the Belt and Road project mitigate some of the geopolitical
weaknesses that China faces??
(3) Why is the Belt and Road initiative a threat to the US and its allies?
(4) How are the US and other Western powers countering China's Belt and Road
Initiative?
(5) Do you think China will succeed in its Belt and Road initiative? Why/why not?

Be prepared to present your answers. Your presentation should be about 5 minutes.

Please provide the links to your presentations on Google Classroom as per normal!