State actions and the environment: examining the concept of ecological security in China

Modern China is a country that witnesses complex interactions of economic development and sustainability. Based on fieldwork in China, this study applies the Copenhagen School framework to examine the actors, processes and outcomes in prioritizing the environmental sector in China. The study aims specifically to unravel the peculiarities of behavioural changes of the state and society in ecological concerns that lead to the securitization process. It also reappraises the emerging trends in state-society relations in the context of prioritizing ecological security in the country. The study finds that the government under Xi Jinping in China has adopted a number of extra-ordinary measures in terms of legal frameworks and enforcement initiatives, in order to address public concerns emerging from the environmental sector. Major policy shifts towards environmental security include; assigning new functions for conventional security apparatus, prioritizing and elevating environmental institutions, improving top-level design of the environment management system and most significantly, promoting public participation.