An English monograph titled Guanxi and Local Green Development in China: The Role of Entrepreneurs and Local Leaders was published and globally released by Routledge, an internationally renowned publishing house. This book was written by Sheng Chunhong, a postdoctoral researcher under the instruction of Prof. Yuan Yiming, Deputy Director of the China Center for Special Economic Zone Research (CCSEZR). Falling under the Routledge Studies in Energy Policy series and Routledge Studies in Environmental Policy series, this book is the first monograph focused on local green development and government-business relationship in China.
The book, consisting of seven chapters, mainly employs political ecology to analyze the relationship between power and environment and the influence of power on environment from the angle of how power controls resources, in a bid to explore the elements conducive to local green development. By presenting and analyzing three cases - Shanghai Pudong New Area, Baoding and Wuning, this book contributes by revealing the innovative role played by green entrepreneurs in helping local government explore different development models and the support of local officials for green industries, which forms a local green development alliance to jointly promote local green development. Setting apart from previous studies focusing on the damage of government-business relationship to ecology and environment, this book believes that under appropriate conditions, the government-business relationship can also promote local green development. Secondly, from the perspective of environmental justice, it raises doubt to the local green development under the leadership of the government-business alliance. Through field research, the book finds that in local green development projects, environmental benefits and cost burdens are imbalanced due to the fact that green development lacks public involvement, and the interests of the disadvantaged are likely to be ignored and sacrificed.
Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, is a renowned academic publisher on the international publishing arena and is well known for publishing excellent academic works. The publication of this book will help international academic peers and people around the world better understand the theory and practice of local political system, green development and the government-business relationship in China.
