State and Society in China’s Environmental Politics

Abstract

It is increasingly common to encounter headlines detailing China’s environmental woes and the social action that has appeared as a result. These headlines run side-by-side with stories of China’s continued economic growth and rise in global prominence. The fact that these two issues are connected is not lost on Chinese citizens or the Communist Party of China. The way these competing, though related, issues are addressed by state and society in China is of central concern to the country as well as to the global community. Though the topic of environmental degradation and social response has been previously explored by many academics in the context of China, the issue has gained a broader audience. The three books under review generally seek to reach this broader audience and to address key tensions in China’s environmental governance, providing insight into changes in state–society relations. There has been an opening of social space in China over the last twenty years, allowing for increased public activism related to environmental issues, at a scale unimaginable even thirty years ago. The nature of this space, however, and the political context in which it has emerged, are contentious. Judith Shapiro provides an overview of the broad spectrum of related issues involved in China’s Environmental Challenges, using a textbook format to introduce the key debates regarding environmental governance in China. Following her now seminal study Mao’s War Against Nature, Shapiro’s newest book draws on a historical view of environmental issues in the country; shifting