Contemporary legal analysis of China’s transboundary water regimes: international law in practice

Abstract

China’s rapid development places growing pressure on its water resources, including its considerable transboundary waters. This paper analyses the current situation of China’s transboundary water regimes through a legal analytical framework. The evaluation of treaty and state practice reveals that while China adheres to and follows some fundamental rules of international water law, gaps remain. New trends in China’s state practice and in the field of international law offer interesting opportunities for addressing these shortcomings.

Keywords:

• China
• international water law
• treaty practice
• transboundary water cooperation

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Professor Patricia Wouters (Xiamen Law School), Dr Owen McIntyre (visiting scholar, Xiamen Law School) and members of the CIWL team at Xiamen Law School – without them, this article could not have been completed.