Discuss the Current Chinese administration’s stance on the environment
Introduction
China is also known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its located in East Asia with a
population of slightly over 1.35 billion which makes it the world’s most populous country
besides being the second largest country in the world. It’s governed by a single party known as
the communist party. The introduction of economic reforms in the year 1978 heralded a new era
for China that saw it become the world’s fastest growing economy both in GDP and the
purchasing power parity. It’s a recognized nuclear weapon country and currently has the largest
army in the world with a defense budget that is also the second world wide. It’s the world’s
largest source of exports and imports of goods.
The Chinese government has for some time now emphasized the need to promote environment
issues and also to maintain sustainable growth. Environmental regulations have been upgraded
and several firms that were excessively polluting the environment have had their government
subsidized loans recalled and in extreme cases their licenses have been revoked. The Chinese
government has continued to promote the clean energy technology though it still has many
challenging environmental issues because of its vast biophysical environment and the rapid
Current Chinese administration’s stance on the environment
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growth in economics and the industrialization sectors of the general economy. It’s estimated that
sixteen out of twenty of the world’s most polluted cities and urban centers are found in China.
China has made tremendous efforts in environmental protection with the
establishment of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the PRC (Peoples Republic of
China) formerly it was known as the SEPA (State Environmental Protection Administration), a
ministry in the executive arm of the government. The Ministry of Environment regulates and
provides guidelines for the environmental policies and controls but the real implementers are the
local governments that are only interested in economic growth. The restrictive nature of the one
party system that is non democratic has dealt a serious blow to the work done by the non-
governmental forces i.e. NGOs (non-governmental organizations), journalists, lawyers among
others in the fight for environmental protection. (Shapiro, 2012) Heavy industries that are state
owned continue to enjoy patronage from the PRC who provide them with energy at subsidized
rates and also loans at very low rates of interest. These heavy industries are the major sources of
environmental air pollution and they take advantage of the PRC protection to continue with their
activities. ( Kahn and Yardley, 2007)
Various forms of environmental pollution have also increased relative to the population growth
and to an extent to the general level of industrialization that has taken place in China.
Current Chinese administration’s stance on the environment
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China has the financial resources needed to improve and implement the relative measures
required to maintain a pollution free society in China or in the Peoples Republic of China. Other
areas for instance are the control of CO2 gas emissions are slightly more difficult to improve or
oversea the protection process just like in other developed nations.
References
Economy, E. (2005) The River Runs Black . Cornell University Press .
Shapiro, J. (2012) China’s Environmental Challenges. Polity Books.
Shapiro, J. (2001) Mao’s War against Nature . Cambridge University Press.
Kahn, J , Yardley, J (2007). “As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes” . The New
York Times.
Vennemo, H., Aunan, K., Lindhjem, H., Seip, H. (2009). “Environmental Pollution in China.
Status and Trends”. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
