Ecological economics in China: origins, dilemmas and prospects

This paper is a first step towards articulating a Chinese version of ecological economics. Over the last decade ecological economics has attracted increasing attention in the West. Similarly, since the early 1980s scholars in China have undertaken specific research on existing ecological economic issues in accordance with Chinese political, economic, socio-cultural and ecological conditions. However, this endeavor is hardly known in the West and little attention has been given so far to the potential role of Chinese attitudes in the international ecological economics movement. This paper is designed to make up for that neglect and attempts to address the following questions: What social and cultural traditions are required for Chinese ecological economics to operate? What are the political and institutional implications of ecological economics in China? Will Chinese ecological economists feel comfortable in a society where open debate is viewed as unacceptable behavior? In order to clarify the Chinese interpretation of ecological economics and its impact on the policy-making process, a preliminary overview of its emerging background, evolutionary history, key viewpoints and theories, nature and policy influence is presented. Three major intellectual sources of Chinese ecological economics are identified and the theoretical applications are emphasized. Then, some theoretical and practical issues that may arise in future research are discussed, along with implications of Chinese ecological economics for the international community, In addition to biophysical functions and ecological conditions, socio-political structures and processes need to be explicitly addressed in extending the research agenda of ecological economics. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.