Search on Ifri.org

About Ifri

Frequent searches

Suggestions

Xi Jinping’s Institutional Reforms: Environment over Energy?

Editorials
|
Date de publication
|
Référence taxonomie collections
Édito Énergie
Image de couverture de la publication
edito_voita_xi_jinping_p1.jpg
Accroche

During its two sessions (lianghui) in March 2018, the National People’s Congress (NPC) announced China’s most important institutional reforms in the last 30 years. These changes occurred right after Xi Jinping consolidated his power and at a time when stakeholders working in the energy field were expecting more clarity on policy orientations.

Image principale
xi_jinping_renouvelables_chine_.jpg
Corps analyses

Though the reforms are in line with those initiated since the 2000s, the energy sector is likely to be deeply affected by the new institutional setting, which reflects China’s energy policy path with a strong emphasis towards low-carbon technologies and a rise in importance of environmental issues, alongside Xi’s institutional modernization through greater centralization and control. Nevertheless, it is too early though to judge whether this will effectively impact the balance of power with the fossil fuel related institutions and policies.

The day Environment became more important than energy

The environment sector is at the core of the reforms, which probably reflects the will to put environmental protection ahead of energy issues. The latest reforms established a Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) which gathers climate and environment responsibilities, that used to be spread between a number of bodies. Unveiled in April, the MEE is now in charge of managing most environmental issues, and theoretically able to draft and empower regulations. In addition, it now represents China in international climate negotiations. In order to manage these new duties, MEE staff increased from 300 to 500.

 

Decoration

Available in:

ISBN / ISSN

978-2-36567-916-9

Share

Download the full analysis

This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.

Xi Jinping’s Institutional Reforms: Environment over Energy?

Image principale
Climate & Energy
Center for Energy & Climate
Accroche centre

Ifri's Energy and Climate Center carries out activities and research on the geopolitical and geoeconomic issues of energy transitions such as energy security, competitiveness, control of value chains, and acceptability. Specialized in the study of European energy/climate policies as well as energy markets in Europe and around the world, its work also focuses on the energy and climate strategies of major powers such as the United States, China or India. It offers recognized expertise, enriched by international collaborations and events, particularly in Paris and Brussels.

Image principale

Europe’s Black Mass Evasion: From Black Box to Strategic Recycling

Date de publication
02 December 2024
Accroche

EV batteries recycling is a building block for boosting the European Union (EU)’s strategic autonomy in the field of critical raw minerals (CRM) value chains. Yet, recent evolutions in the European EV value chain, marked by cancellations or postponements of projects, are raising the alarm on the prospects of the battery recycling industry in Europe.

Image de couverture de la publication
Couverture Politique étrangère 4-2024

The New Geopolitics of Energy

Date de publication
03 December 2024
Accroche

Following the dramatic floods in Valencia, and as COP29 opens in Baku, climate change is forcing us to closely reexamine the pace—and the stumbling blocks—of the energy transition.

Image principale

Can carbon markets make a breakthrough at COP29?

Date de publication
30 October 2024
Accroche

Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) have a strong potential, notably to help bridge the climate finance gap, especially for Africa.

Image principale

Taiwan's Energy Supply: The Achilles Heel of National Security

Date de publication
22 October 2024
Accroche

Making Taiwan a “dead island” through “a blockade” and “disruption of energy supplies” leading to an “economic collapse.” This is how Colonel Zhang Chi of the People’s Liberation Army and professor at the National Defense University in Beijing described the objective of the Chinese military exercises in May 2024, following the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te. Similar to the exercises that took place after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August 2022, China designated exercise zones facing Taiwan’s main ports, effectively simulating a military embargo on Taiwan. These maneuvers illustrate Beijing’s growing pressure on the island, which it aims to conquer, and push Taiwan to question its resilience capacity.

How can this study be cited?

Image de couverture de la publication
edito_voita_xi_jinping_p1.jpg
Xi Jinping’s Institutional Reforms: Environment over Energy?, from Ifri
Copy
Image de couverture de la publication
edito_voita_xi_jinping_p1.jpg

Xi Jinping’s Institutional Reforms: Environment over Energy?