Climate change, water, and China’s security : implications for global cooperation on climate change

This paper links the issues of climate change, water, and China’s security, arguing that the water-related impacts of climate change post significant strategic challenges for China and Asia, with consequent implications for China’s participation and engagement in global climate change cooperation efforts. Specifically, water-related climate impacts will strain the capacity of many key public institutions, and imperil the government’s strategic development objectives. Recognizing these imperatives points the way toward a strategic dialogue with China on climate change. This paper first discusses scientific assessments of predicted hydrological changes in China and neighboring countries under climate change, progressing to a security analysis of the challenges these changes pose, and finally discusses how Chinese policymakers and commentators view climate change and water as geopolitical issues. This paper concludes by examining implications for global climate cooperation