The subject of this course is to introduce East Asia as an integral whole and its political and economic foundation. For the aforementioned purpose, this course is divided into three parts. The first part is a retrospect of the region’s history, introducing the region’s trade and economic development from the age of discovery well into the early 20th century. The second part discusses the trade and financial linkages among sovereign units in the region and how these units cooperate with each other on these two aspects. The third part proceeds in a round-table format, in which the students, on a group basis, debate about identity construction and the future of political and economic integration in East Asia.