Greening the Chinese Leviathan: China’s renewable energy governance as a source of soft power

Geoffrey Chun-fung Chen, Charles Lees

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article examines China’s rapid and large-scale renewable energy expansion and the challenge it presents to orthodox approaches to sustainable energy diffusion that emphasise soft interventions and stakeholder participation. We show that China eschewed participatory modes of energy governance and pursued a centrally steered, hard interventionist strategy adapted to its non-democratic regime. We observe that China’s approach provides an alternative blueprint for development that is potentially attractive to some audiences. Drawing on recent soft power debates, we argue that China’s hard interventionist mode of governance in the renewables sector has the potential to enhance Chinese soft power both domestically and abroad.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)79-106
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of International Relations and Development
Volume25
Issue number1
Early online date5 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2022

Keywords

  • China
  • Climate Change Politics
  • Renewables
  • soft power

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