Biden’s Policy of Appeasement With China Fails to Address Environmental Threats
President Biden’s attempts to ease tensions with China have been met with criticism for ignoring the country’s environmental threats. While the administration claims to have an ambitious climate and environmental agenda, it has failed to hold China accountable for its harmful actions. From being the top emitter of greenhouse gases to contributing to ocean acidification and engaging in illegal fishing practices, China’s environmental record is concerning.
China’s determination to maintain its role as the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases is evident. The country has set a record peak in emissions this year, falsely reported its actual emissions, and built an alarming number of coal plants compared to the rest of the world. Despite claims of addressing climate change, China’s actions point to an ongoing preference for fossil fuels.
In addition to air pollution, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has resulted in the export of environmental degradation. Through transportation, communication, and energy projects, Chinese enterprises are contributing to air and water pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of clean water, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss in multiple countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
China’s impact on the world’s oceans is also significant and alarming. The country’s greenhouse gas emissions contribute to ocean acidification, harming calcifying marine organisms at the base of the food chain. Furthermore, China is one of the largest producers of marine plastic waste, posing a threat to ocean ecosystems globally.
The South China Sea is another area where China’s actions have resulted in significant environmental damage. The country’s illegal territorial claims and military base construction have destroyed large areas of coral reefs, impacting the environment and economies of neighboring states such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Perhaps the most serious environmental abuse is China’s rampant illegal fishing activity. With the largest distant water fishing fleet in the world, China violates sovereign fishing rights and laws, depleting fish stocks in other nations and causing irreparable environmental and economic damage. Despite acknowledging the need to address these practices, the Biden administration’s National Security Memorandum fails to mention China as the worst offender.
While the United States has made significant environmental progress over the past five decades, the Biden administration’s desire to ease tensions with China appears to overshadow the critical global threat posed by China’s environmental actions. In various international meetings and official statements regarding climate, conservation, the ocean, and Pacific partnerships, the White House has refrained from calling on China to change its ways. By failing to demand that President Xi Jinping reverse China’s negative impact on the planet, President Biden’s environmental agenda loses its meaning.
In conclusion, President Biden’s policy of appeasement towards China not only weakens the United States’ stance against an autocratic regime but also disregards the environmental threats posed by China’s actions. China’s record as a top emitter of greenhouse gases, its involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative’s environmental degradation, and its disruptive activities in the South China Sea and global fishing practices cannot be ignored. If the Biden administration truly wishes to prioritize environmental protection, it must hold China accountable for its harmful actions and demand change.
