Abstract
While identifying the emerging features of China’s economy as a growth economy, this chapter argues that the real ecological threat is the increasing dependence of Chinese economy and society on economic growth itself, and that building socialist ecological civilisation, or a new pattern of eco-socialism, may function as a greener and more fruitful political ecology to resist or reverse this tendency. After 30 years of carrying out the reform and openness policy, in the author’s observation, China is standing at a crucial crossroad: not very much in terms of the stages of its economic growth, but whether or not it can move forward to a sustainable future.
An earlier version of this chapter was published as an article in the International Journal of Inclusive Democracy, 4(4) 2008 (http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
For a more comprehensive and distinctive analysis of the concept of growth economy, see Takis Fotopoulos, Towards an Inclusive Democracy: The Crisis of the Growth Economy and the Need for a New Liberatory Project (London: Cassell, 1997), pp. 62-63. In this chapter, my starting-point is not to criticise economic growth unconditionally, but instead how to make the Chinese economy to leave behind a necessary stage of economic growth and move forward in a more sustainable way.
- 2.
As of writing this chapter, it is still too early to make any clear judgement the world economic crisis since late 2008 will to what extent affect the long-lasting high-speed economic growth in China. Both the Chinese leaders and the public, however, appear quite optimistic with that China will be the first country to extricate itself from this economic crisis and back to the ‘normal-style’ economic growth which means maintaining an economic growth rate around 10%.
- 3.
Even from a perspective of sustainable development, we can not agree with Takis Fotopoulos’ argument that introducing the reform and openness policy or adopting a market-oriented economy in China in 1978 is just the first step moving towards a wrong, capitalist, direction. See Takis Fotopoulos, ‘Is sustainable development compatible with present globalisation’ , the International Journal of Inclusive Democracy 4/4(2008).
- 4.
There are two possible explanations why the CPC Report used the term of ‘ecological civilisation’ instead of ‘socialist ecological civilisation’. One is that the socialist nature of ecological civilisation in China is taken for granted and the other there is a strong suspicion among the elites as well as the public upon the legacy of the polarised division of ‘socialism vs. capitalism’. See Yue Pan, ‘On socialist ecological civilisation’, Green Leaf 10 (2006), pp. 10-18; Qingzhi Huan, ‘Socialist ecological civilisation: A terminological analysis’, Green Leaf 2 (2008), pp. 96-102.
- 5.
According to the up-to-date standard of Chinese government (annual income per capita lower than 1,300 RMB), there are still 80 million people who are living in poverty, see Economic Reference Daily, April 13, 2008.
- 6.
A more illuminating example in this aspect is the strategical measures for combating economic crisis taken by the Chinese governments since late 2008. Arguably, the huge plan which will cost more than 10 trillion RMB is not only to save the difficult enterprises and the poor people, but to find a proper channel of making money for the enormously accumulated national capital.
References
Bookchin, M. (2005). The ecology of freedom: The emergence and dissolution of hierarchy. Oakland: AK Press.
Fotopoulos, T. (1997). Towards an inclusive democracy: The crisis of the growth economy and the need for a new liberatory project. London: Cassell.
Fotopoulos, T. (2005). The multi-dimensional crisis and inclusive democracy. London: The International Journal of Inclusive Democracy.
Fotopoulos, T. (2008). Is sustainable development compatible with present globalisation. The International Journal of Inclusive Democracy 4/4. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal
Friends of Nature. (2008). China’s environmental crisis and its favourable turn. Beijing: Social Science Document Press.
He, C. (2006). Report on China’s ecological modernisation: 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from China Environment and Ecology Network Web site: http://eedu.org.cn/article/ecology
Hu, M. (2007). Reconstructing development views: Green GDP and scientific concept of development. Green Leaf, 4, 28-29.
Huan, Q. (2007a). International comparison on environmental politics. Jinan: Shandong University Press.
Huan, Q. (2007b). Ecological modernisation: A realistic Green road for China? Environmental Politics, 16(4), 683-687.
Huan, Q. (2008). Socialist ecological civilisation: A terminological analysis. Green Leaf, 2, 96-102.
Jänicke, M. (2000). Ecological modernisation: Innovation and diffusion of policy and technology. Berlin: FFU Report 8.
Jänicke, M. (2007). Ecological modernisation: New perspectives. In M. Jänicke, & K. Jacob (Eds.), Environmental governance in global perspective: New approaches to ecological modernisation and political modernisation (pp. 9-29). Berlin: Free University Berlin.
Johnson, D. (2004). Ecological modernisation, globalisation and Europeanisation. In J. Barry, B. Baxter, & R. Dunphy (Eds.), Europe, Globalisation and Sustainable Development (pp. 152-167). London: Routledge.
Kovel, J., & Löwy, M. (2001). An eco-socialist manifesto. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from the International Endowment for Democracy Web site: http://www.iefd.org/manifestos
Kriener, M. (2009). Ist China noch zu retten: Der ökonomische Triumpf der Volksrepublik droht zur Niederlage des Planeten zu werden, ZEO2 1, 16-25.
Mol, A. P. J. (2006). Environment and modernity in transitional China: Frontiers of ecological modernisation. Development and Change, 37(1), 29-56.
Morrison, R. (1995). Ecological democracy. Boston: South End Press.
Niu, W. (ed). (1997). Green strategy: China’s environment and sustainable development in the 21st century. Qingdao: Qingdao Press.
Pan, Y. (2006). On socialist ecological civilisation. Green Leaf, 10, 10-18.
Pang, Y. (2007). On scientific concept of development. Green Leaf, 11, 14-15.
Qu, G. (2006, April 12). High official of the SEPA talks about the environmental performance in the 10th Five-Year-Plan period. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from Netease Web site: http://news.163.com/06/0413/2EIG98G00001124J.html
Sarkar, S. (1999). Eco-socialism or eco-capitalism? A critical analysis of humanity’s fundamental choices. London: Zed Books.
Steve, P. (2008). Consumption will stimulate the continuing economic growth of China. The Times, 11 March.
Sun, D. (2007). Expert says: China can maintain the growth rate of 6%-10% for next 20 years. Economic Times of China, 1 June.
The, U. N. C. E. D. (1987). Our common future. New York: Oxford University Press.
The CPC. (2007, October 15). The Central Commission’s Report to the 17th Convention of the CPC. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from its official Web site: http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB
The Blacksmith Institute. (2007). The dirtiest cities in the world. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from its official Web site: http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org
The News Office of State Council. (1996/2006). White paper on China’s environmental protection. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from its official Web site: http://www.scio.gov.cn
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange. (2008). China’s foreign reserve exchange. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from its official Web site: http://www.safe.gov.cn/model_safe
The value of share A increased 268% in 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from Xinhuanet Web site: http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-01/ content_7396069.htm
Weale, A. (1993). Ecological modernisation and the integration of European environmental policy. In D. Liefferink, P. Lowe & A. Mol (Eds.), European Integration and Environmental Policy (pp. 196-216). London: Belhaven Press.
Xiong, J. (2008). Debating the discourse rights of the rich. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from Sohunet Web site: http://news.sohu.com/20080318
Young, S. C. (ed). (2000). The emergence of ecological modernisation: Integrating the environment and the economy. London: Routledge.
Yu, M. (1996). A new century for culture: Theoretical explanation on ecological culture. Changchun: Northeast Forest University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Huan, Q. (2010). Growth Economy and Its Ecological Impacts Upon China: An Eco-socialist Analysis. In: Huan, Q. (eds) Eco-socialism as Politics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3745-9_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3745-9_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3744-2
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3745-9
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)