How did China become a green economy powerhouse?

From widespread industrial pollution to emerging as a green powerhouse, China’s economic evolution shows how grassroots activism has pushed ecological issues to the political forefront.  

Tianjie and Bertie discuss China’s green evolution, Pan Yue’s introduction of environmental nationalism (now championed by Xi Jinping), flawed provincial reporting, and whether the country’s model can be sustained. 

Ma Tianjie is a freelance writer and environmental activist based in Beijing. He worked as Greenpeace’s Program Director for Mainland China until 2015, and then as Director of China Dialogue Beijing until 2022. His book, In Search of Green China, was published in February 2025 by Polity Press. Buy it here.  

Audio engineering by Vasco Kostovski. 

Further reading: 

Après moi, le deluge: how a fight over garbage challenged China’s growth model, Land and Climate Review, 2025  

Researchers unveil roadmap for a carbon neutral China by 2060, Modern Diplomacy, 2020 

Clearing the skies: how Beijing tackled air pollution & what lies ahead Sustainable Mobility, 2023 

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