ReConnect China - China’s green turn under Xi Jinping - Why "Ecological Civilisation"

Internationally, efforts to mitigate the anthropogenic impact on the natural environment are generally framed under the concept of “sustainable development.” In the People's Republic of China, however, “ecological civilisation” (shengtai wenming 生态文明) has become the defining slogan of the country’s environmental policy. What does this different wording entail for Chinese politics and for the future of the world? What values and worldviews underpin the use of “ecological civilisation” by Chinese authorities? In this podcast Dr Beatrice Gallelli discusses her recent ReConnect Policy Brief with Outi Luova. Beatrice Gallelli is a Research Fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionali and an Assistant Professor at Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Italy. Outi Luova works as a senior university lecturer at the Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku, Finland. Link to the policy brief: Why “Ecological civilisation”? The values driving China’s green turn under Xi Jinping https://www.reconnect-china.ugent.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ReConnect-China-Policy-Brief-30-Ecological-civilisation.pdf Transcript: https://www.utu.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/podcast/reconnect