China's Environmental Security: Implications for US Interests and Opportunities for Military-to-Military Engagement

摘要

U.S. national security objectives in China and the Asia-Pacific region include economic and political stability and unhindered access to open markets. China's many environmental problems threaten its internal economic and political stability and its relations with other countries in the long run. In light of the country's rapid population and economic growth, its environmental problems will likely worsen. Because of their potential impacts on U.S. interests, the U.S. should actively engage China on environmental issues, using the opportunity to encourage greater attention to China's environmental problems, and develop positive dialogue with the Chinese. Military engagement between the Department of Defense and People's Liberation Army (PLA) on environmental issues is one channel for strategic cooperation, and will result in mutually beneficial exchanges of information and expertise. Besides the environmental advantages, engagement will also help the PLA in its quest to modernize and the DoD in its attempts to encourage the PLA to become more transparent. In this paper, the authors discuss the significance of China's environmental security to U.S. interests, and recommend strategies for actively engaging China on the environment. In particular, they propose opportunities and means for environmental cooperation between the DoD and PLA.