Green bonds in China and the Sino-British collaboration: More a partnership of learning than commerce

Abstract

This article explores the role of Sino-British collaboration in promoting green bond development in China, the extent to which it meets the United Kingdom’s wider objectives regarding the UK-China bilateral relationship and the underlying factors. Drawing on desk research and interviews, it tests and validates the hypothesis that the key driving force for this development is the coupling of the financialisation of the Chinese economy and the politics of ‘ecological civilisation’, although learning through international interaction has also played a role. It further shows that the scope for the United Kingdom to benefit from this growth is limited by the structure of UK-China trade, China’s strong macro-economic control and its approach to international relations that prioritises learning and identity transformation rather than the opening up of its markets. Inter-hub competition also plays a part.

Keywords

Chinese solutions domestic politics financialisation green bonds inter-hub competition learning liberalism versus statism macro-economic control market access national identity partnership UK-China relations

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