At RealClearWorld Matthew Goodman reports on the proceedings of the annual China Development Forum (reprinted from cSIS):
The elaborate two-day affair bringing together scholars, business people, and officials from China, the United States, and Europe exuded confidence about China’s economic prospects, internal stability, and global position. Coming on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, this bravado was not surprising. But behind the outer show, I sensed a deeper anxiety in the Chinese elite. This has important implications for U.S. interests.
The question that occurred to me was whether the clear skies he observed during his stay reflected success by the Chinese officials on the environmental front or a flagging economy and how one would go about distinguishing between the two using indirect evidence?
Read the whole thing.
I assume it’s more the first one.
Officials have spent a lot of effort in the past 5-10 years switching away from coal to natural gas and moving coal plants away from population centers (esp Beijing).
It’s too bad Beijing views US gas as strategic liability; otherwise they could move away from coal a lot faster.
@CuriousOnlooker
It’s too bad Beijing views US gas as strategic liability …
It is, and relying on China for the majority of manufacturing is as well.
I see they use about 4.2% nuclear now, but plan to be at 40% by 2100. I just hope I don’t have to re-roof the house before then.
Talk about planning.