Why is the interior west of continental East Asia (western China and Mongolia) so dry and subject to extremes in temperature?

In what ways is China more vulnerable to global warming than South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan?

Historically, China has been afflicted with recurring famines. While famine is no longer a concern, China’s access to food has changed with economic development. How?

How might a more democratic political system have resulted in changes in the overall conception and design of the Three Gorges Dam?

Why might a Confucian praise or criticize China’s current political system and its approach to economic and political change?

In what ways might globalization have taken a different course if the voyages of Admiral Zheng He had inspired China to conquer a vast colonial empire, like that of Great Britain?

Contrast Japan’s pre–World War II policies in East Asia with its present role in the region. Describe the principal similarities or differences.

In what ways has the one-child-per-family policy helped maintain stability in China? How might it affect China in the future in terms of gender balance and economic growth?

How has East Asia’s spatial pattern of urbanization been shaped by integration into the global economy?

What information technologies are now available to the Chinese, and what role can such technologies have in the democratization of the country?