This was a relatively straightforward and rewarding class if you're interested in learning about China's political structure. We focused on China's political history beginning with Mao Zedong and into the present. Our time was spent looking at some of the structural strengths/weaknesses of China's political system, evaluating its sustainability, and how China maintains its state-society relationship based on its recent history. We were required to complete a couple readings (sometimes more) every week, with the total number of pages averaging between 30-60 pages/week. The most we've ever read for a week was around 100 pages. I found the readings interesting since she chooses a good variety of literature from famous political scientists (e.g., UCLA's Richard Baum) and opinion pieces from major publications (e.g., The New York Times, The South China Morning Post, and The Economist). If you've read literature from political science journals, then you'll know that it can be dry sometimes. But if you're genuinely interested in learning more about China, then I think you will find them rewarding. All readings required a 1-page reading response, which were 30% of the total grade, and were graded on completion. If you're smart, you can probably get away with skimming the readings for the answers.

Midterm exam (25%) and final exam (30%) were timed essays completed during regular class time. She gave us a relatively broad prompt and expected us to formulate an argument using only the readings from class. But this quarter, she gave us a week to complete the final exam because of the pandemic and George Floyd protests.

Although I found the class rewarding because of the material, I disagree with how lectures were structured. Participation in class discussion was 5% and attendance was 10% of our grade. Which meant 15% of our grade depended on us attending and participating in class. This resulted in about 20-40% of class time being spent on students voicing their opinions on the readings. Which meant that a good chunk of the class was more discussion/Q&A-like instead of a traditional lecture. And often, it was the same 20-40% of students participating in class. I tended to doze out during this part of class since most people tended to use this time to repeat what was said in the readings to get those participation points. If you're interested in a class that encouraged class discussion, then you might enjoy the class. Personally, I never participated in class discussion and never found lectures to be completely useful. I wish the professor spent more time lecturing and contextualizing the readings to add to what we had already read.

Had attendance not been required, I would've never gone to lecture since I understood enough of the material from the readings alone. But I would definitely take this class again because it was relatively low effort. I also learned a lot from the readings and found them genuinely interesting.

This class is both very engaging as well as very organized. The readings you do before class are the the primary focus of the lectures. Lectures go into greater detail of the readings and are extremely organized. Both tests are in class-written exams with questions that range from broad to specific. If you attend lecture and do the readings you should be able to apply very pertinent information into the essays and get a good score. The amount of reading is moderate but very necessary and beneficial. There is a short write up assignment where you answer a question or two about readings every week. These assignments are a great opportunity to receive full credit and if you complete all of the assignments there's typically a small extra credit applied to the final grade. This class is very interesting especially if you're knowledge about China or the political environment was limited like mine was. Professor is willing to talk in depth about the issues discussed in class and is very helpful. I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in learning more about Chinese politics.

I loved this class. The readings were all relevant to the content she would lecture about in class. She highly encourages participation, and she really does learn the names of everyone who participates. She is very willing to help during her office hours. The content is interesting, and it is very important to take good notes on what she lectures on.

The class is so informative. She is such a nice and engaging person. I learned a lot. Participation and attendance matter, but she does make an effort to not pick on the same person and she really does learn people's name in a large class. If you've taken her class on Russia's IR, the class is a comparative politics class so it isn't the same, but she is still awesome.

The class is so informative. She is such a nice and engaging person. I learned a lot. Participation and attendance matter, but she does make an effort to not pick on the same person and she really does learn people's name in a large class. If you've taken her class on Russia's IR, the class is a comparative politics class so it isn't the same, but she is still awesome.

This class requires participation, which was daunting given how large the class was, but Bellette will actually learn your name by the end of the course, which says something about her as a professor. She is one of the most helpful and approachable professors I've had at UCLA. She gave us midterm questions in advance, and we got a choice of essay questions to answer out of several. Even though the questions were difficult, they were useful in getting us to engage in the material. And I was even able to go to office hours to get her help on formulating an outline for the questions in advance. As long as you do the reading for classes, and prepare for the tests, you should be able to get an A in the class. The class rewards hard work, and the content is really fascinating. This class was the first one I took on Asian politics, and I learned so much. Could not more highly recommend this class or any other with Bellette.

Professor Yuen-ching Bellette Lee’s course is one of the best that I have taken at UCLA. Her class was very engaging, interesting, and informative. She tries to engage the class through discussions and her lectures are well-structured. The lectures build on one another so it is easy to follow along. If you do the readings and pay attention in class, you will do well. Professor Lee always reviews key concepts in class and is willing to help students during office hours. She is by far the friendliest Professor that I have met, she genuinely cares that students understand the concepts taught in class and that they succeed in their careers. Professor Lee is one of the best professors in the Political Science Department at UCLA, I would highly recommend all students who are interested in comparative politics, international relations, or Chinese politics to take all of her classes.

Th course itself was okay. You honestly get more out of the beginning readings than anything else. The issue was, however, that it was taught as a history course. That and Lee's lecturing style bounces around quite a bit. Following along with her notes on the board is practically impossible. Fortunately, she is rather knowledgeable and offered extra credit. I ended with an A but only through my own work outside of class.