Financially Stricken China's Environment and Energy Problems: A Comparison of Japan and China

Abstract

China has now emerged into the world's largest consumer of energy that might account for a quarter of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, it tugs on the global energy market and may draw out vast results from introducing energy. In order to solve the various energy problems, it is important above all things for China to maintain good relations in common with the other countries of the world diplomatically, economically and socially. It may be said that the stability of international relations and characteristic openness of using energy domestically is the first step to solving energy problems. In fact, there are many places that are not sufficiently maintained in the global energy market. In order to maintain such, should the world not be expecting China to pour out its power? This issue goes beyond Japan and China, but the whole world needs to deal with.

Keywords:

• Energy balance
• utilization of coal resources
• fairness and nationality in the world energy market
• “contributor” and “oppressor” in the world energy market
• the stability of international relations

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Masaharu Osawa

Masaharu OSAWA is Professor at Aichi University, Faculty of Economics. He graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Japan. His major research topics include social economics under resource and environmental restrictions. His major publications include Public Policies for a Recycling Society (Chuokeizaisha, 2002, joint authorship); Shanxi Province in the Summer of 2004 (2004); Survey on Water in China's Yunnan Province 2005; Viewpoint of Energy from Societal and Economic Theory (Energy Forum, 2005); Prospects for China's Energy Problems seen in its 11th Five Year Plan (Aichi University Economic Collection No. 172, 2006); “China's Energy Policies Aiming for a Harmonious Society,” (China's Environmental Problems joint authorship, Nippon Hyoronsha, 2008); The Environment in Hunchun, China: -Sharing Borders with Russia and North Korea- (Aichi University Economic Collection No. 177, 2008); and, Social Economics Borrowing from the Natural Resources and Environment (Zeikei Group, 2009). He has written many other books and articles that cover environmental economics.