Environmental Security and its Implications for China’s Foreign Relations

Junko Mochizuki and ZhongXiang Zhang
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Junko Mochizuki: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa

No 2011.30, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: China’s emerging standing in the world demands a major rethinking of its diplomatic strategies. Given its population size, geographical scale, economic power and military presence, China is poised to play a larger political role in the twenty-first century, and is thus perceived by the international community to have greater capacities, capabilities and responsibilities. At the same time, environmental stresses caused by China’s energy and resources demands have become increasingly evident in recent years, urging China to cultivate delicate diplomatic relations with its neighbors and strategic partners. Tensions have been seen in areas such as transboundary air pollution, cross-border water resources management and resources exploitation, and more recently in global issues such as climate change. As the Chinese leadership begins to embrace the identity of a responsible developing country, it is becoming apparent that while unabated resources demands and environmental deterioration may pose a great threat to environmental security, a shared sense of urgency could foster enhanced cooperation. For China to move beyond existing and probable diplomatic tensions, a greater attention to domestic and regional environmental security will no doubt be necessary. This article explores such interrelations among domestic, regional and global environmental securities and China’s diplomacy, and suggests possible means by which China could contribute to strengthening global environmental security.

Keywords: Acid Rain; Climate Change; Energy; Environmental Security; Transboundary Air Pollution; Water Resource Management; Asia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 P28 Q25 Q34 Q42 Q48 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-tra
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Environmental Security and its Implications for China’s Foreign Relations (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Security and its Implications for China’s Foreign Relations (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fem:femwpa:2011.30

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