ESPM 169: International Environmental PoliticsEnvironmental Politics in ChinaOctober 2, 2003Readings:Lieberthal, “China’s Governing System.” China Environment Series 1.Ross, “China: Environmental Protection…and compliance with international norms.” CQ156.Li Daqun, “New Diplomatic Endeavors.” Guoji wenti yanjiu 1990.1. Intro to today’s topic and Chinaa. purpose of a country study in this class on transnational politicsi. want to get a sampling of different countries’ approaches to environmental problems—you’ll be reading more on other countries in early Novemberii. need to understand different countries’ problems and priorities as they come to international negotiationsb. Has anyone here ever…i. lived in or traveled to China?ii. taken a class on China?iii. read a book or seen a movie about China?iv. read the articles assigned for today on China?c. What pictures spring to mind when you think of China and its environment?i. rice terraces, panda, Three Gorges Dam, …d. Why be concerned with China?i. Baruch Boxer: China as “world’s best case study” for environment/developmentii. Developing country | Socialist country | NIC | Historical world leaderiii. Environmental crisis and/or success story?iv. The big international environmental question of the late 1980s was the ozone hole; this was a situation where the use of ozone-depleting chemicals by any one country put the rest of the world at risk, and China was poised to become the biggest user of all.v. Now the big international challenge is global climate change, with carbon from fossil fuels as the most important variable, but also raising issues like carbon sequestration in forests and grasslands. By some calculations, China’s growth in carbon emissions and reduced carbon sequestration could offset the anti-global warming efforts of all of the other countries in the world.vi. Direct impacts aside, some would argue that Americans have a responsibility for China’s environment since we import so much of the products we consume from China—and export the environmental damage associated with producing them.e. UNDP report classifies China’s environmental problems into two categories: natural resource degradation and rapid industrialization (“green and brown”):“Continuing population pressures place a heavy burden on natural resources, particularly on per capita land, water, and biodiversity resources. Cultivated land, for example, is [thought to be] rapidly deteriorating from soil erosion, desertification, and land conversions for non-agricultural purposes. Inadequate water supplies persist as soil erosion, deforestation, land conversion, and inefficient agricultural and industrial use grows. Finally, biodiversity throughout the nation is suffering from the encroachment of human activities such as logging, hunting, and pollution emissions for both industrial and agricultural activities. “Industrial pollution poses a second set of environmental problems for both the urban and ruralsectors of China. Outdated technologies and inefficient management have [exacerbated] air, water, and noise pollution throughout the nation. Furthermore, the massive growth in the number of factories has given rise to a set of new problems, such as the necessity to manage and dispose of excessive urban solid wastes, hazardous chemical/toxic wastes, and radiation. Finally, the growth of township and village enterprises has [led to] the emergence of a host of new agricultur[al] and rural pollution issues.”f. on the other hand, there are a number of successes:i. Since 1972 China has gone from signing no environmental treaties to signing almost all of the relevant onesii. From a staff of 2 in 1972, China has established one of the world’s largest environmental protection agencies with officers in all 3000 counties and nearly half of the 70,000 townshipsiii. China has survived what one scholar called “3,000 years of unsustainable development”—it is still feeding the world’s largest population and, for the most part, improving its citizens’ standard of living2. China in IEP: the story so fara. Again, what are we trying to identify?i. For policy relevance: the most promising points of leverageii. Who are the actors? What powers do they have? What motivates them to respond? Or constrains them?iii. Lieberthal article: importance of “elite attention,” gained from international pressure and the specter of social unrestb. Starting from UNCHEi. International environmental community can take credit for engaging Chinaii. 1972 Stockholm conference1. PRC’s first multilateral experience (displaced Taiwan)2. Still in Cultural Revolution, international ties cut3. China’s objective: project image as an anti-hegemonist Third World leader4. blamed all environmental ills on capitalism5. refused to follow conference agenda (Taiwan had helped plan)6. Soviets/Eastern Europeans boycotted, China captured spotlight7. China’s amendments to Declaration adopted, but Chinese delegation “did not participate in the vote”iii. UNCHE follow-up1. Met requirement for a draft environmental plan2. 1972 Dalian Bay pollution crisis3. Led to industrial pollution/recycling policy, small office by 1976c. Building ties in the 1970s and 1980si. Deng Xiaoping’s 1974 General Assembly speech that set the tone for Chinese foreign policy including on environmental issues:a. “the poverty of the developing countries is the result of the colonialist and imperialist” legacy; b. overcoming this poverty requires recognizing the sovereignty of each country over its resources; and c. developed nations should be obligated to provide loans and “technical know-how” unconditionally to underdeveloped ones. ii. Tone not conducive to international cooperation, but China not as disruptive in the UN as had been fearediii. Passed up chance to participate in multilateral treaties or join IGOs—some because “we are not ready yet,” some because Taiwan was represented (e.g. CITES)iv. Did join UNEP Governing Council1. forum for making anti-US and anti-USSR statements2. Qu Geping made substantive contributions3. fostered South-South exchanges, e.g., China-Africa technical aid, biogas tour4. UNEP publicized these exchanges to draw elite policymakers’ attention, brought Ministers and specialists into contact at welcoming ceremonies5. Because of its UNEP ties, China could start to receive information from the international environmental