China’s practice on the non-navigational uses of transboundary waters: transforming diplomacy through rules of international law

Abstract

China’s abundant transboundary water resources face new challenges as demands increase, internally and externally. As China seeks new ways to cooperate with its riparian neighbours, more attention is being paid to international water law in the evolving diplomatic practice across the region. China’s (mostly) bilateral transboundary water cooperation is here characterized as ‘responsive diplomacy’. This paper explores China’s state practice in this context and concludes by recommending that it moves from ‘responsive’ towards ‘preventive’ diplomacy. The author offers strategic and policy responses in order to effect this change.

Keywords:

• transboundary waters
• international law
• responsive diplomacy
• preventive diplomacy
• China

Acknowledgements

The author would like to give special thanks to Professor Patricia Wouters for her encouragement and the opportunity to present this research; to the anonymous peer reviewers for their constructive comments; to David Devlaeminck for his much welcomed assistance with the English editing; and to Liping Dai for all her logistical support throughout.

Notes

1. The other two states that voted against the UNWC are Turkey and Burundi; coincidentally all three are upstream states.