This ULEC “China Today” is honored and featured as one of the New School Signature Courses. The series of university lectures and discussions open up new critical intellectual spaces for students to contemplate on questions such as the following: Why is it important to learn about China in the age of globalization and de-globalization? How to understand a country and civilization that is oftentimes understudied and misrepresented in the West? How to critically view its rapid development and recurring controversies in the domains of politics, economy, art, and culture? This course examines today’s China through the lens of theory and practice, representation and visuality, critical analysis and debates. It is part of the core curriculum of critical China Studies. Students will be introduced to various heated topics such as uneven development, social inequality, rise of China, US-China relations, AI, media censorship, post-COVID geopolitical order, contemporary Chinese art and political activism. By the end of the semester, students will be expected to develop considerable empirical and critical knowledge about China. Guest speakers will be invited to present their topics and dialogue with students. Note: This is an Asynchronous Online lecture; all discussion sections are held in-person on campus. Students must register for both the lecture and discussion section of this course. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change.]