Ecological Civilization in China: A Challenge for Political Ecology

• In Event: China's 'Ecological Civilization': New Hopes, Old Limitations (Between Ecological Constraints and Ideological Projections)

Abstract

« Ecological Civilization » is one of the core concept of Chinese politics today. Since 2007, when Hu Jintao promoted this concept of « Shengtai wenming » during the 17th congress of the Chinese Communist Party, this idea has been widely spread in Chinese Politics and scientific fields as one of the main target of this Nation. In opposition with the « Western Industrial Civilization », « Ecological Civilization » is presented as the new model of civilization, specifically Chinese, rooted in Ancient Chinese Traditions. The paradigm of « Ecological Civilization » is supposed to be globally implemented according to the usual structural process « from top to bottom ». This new official direction of Chinese politics rises quite a challenge for our contemporary political theorization. Ecological Development is usually linked to Democratization, as exemplified in Roy Morrison’s work Ecological Democracy (1999). Nevertheless, Democracy is excluded from Chinese contemporary political possibilities. Instead, the idea of « public participation » following the directions of the government is promoted. The official reason is that such a structure will maintain the stability of the « harmonious society » and guarantee the development of the « Chinese Dream ». Therefore, « Ecological Civilization in China » is an authoritative model. But can an Ecological Civilization be sustainable without the autonomous empowerment of individuals in a society? The case of Ecological Civilization in China leads us to question the possible validity of authoritarianism in our global ecological concerns, as well as its limits.

Author

• Vanessa Kopec, Qinghua University