Dilemmatic Resource Governance: China’s Balancing Act to Share Rivers

Abstract

China itself is vulnerable to environmental threats. With its sheer size and population, China faces immense potential threats from global warming and uneven access to natural resources. At the same time, the legitimacy of the central government heavily relies on the country’s economic performance which in turn relies on the exploitation of natural resources. China is faced with growing pressure as to how it effectively manages natural resources on an international scale. This paper examines a dilemmatic situation that great powers are faced with the participation in international environmental cooperation. The formation of multi-lateral environmental agreements requires that nation states comply with environmental responsibilities when exercising sovereign rights over environmental resources. Great powers confront more pressure as they are expected to commit to greater responsibilities in international affairs. Adopting the sharing of the Mekong river basin as a case study, this paper examines the role China plays as a great power when exercising its right to appropriate natural resources. Changes are found in China’s international water policy including the establishment of the multi-lateral mechanism. This paper concludes that China’s policy developments in resource governance facilitate China to promote coordinated actions over the shared water resources. At the same time, such balancing acts serve to legitimize China’s dominance over the management of the Mekong river basin, which is embedded in the country’s Belt and Road Strategy.