Water security in china’s neighboring diplomacy

Abstract

Water security has become one of the most important topics in China’s relations with neighboring countries. Currently, there is an asymmetric interdependence and a structure of “low conflict and low cooperation” between China and neighboring countries, which leads to a sense of insecurity over the water resource utilization. Consequently, some of these countries are trying to form a potentially strategic alliance with other countries outside the region to contain China’s “water power,” which will exert negative impact on China’s relationship with these neighboring countries and change the overall security environment on China’s peripheries. In the future, however, China’s strategic advantage on water resources could serve as the basis of diplomatic breakthroughs to promote regional water governance in alignment with China’s national interest. China should take advantage of its strategic position as the “Water Tower in Asia” to formulate a water resource security strategy, establish feasible sharing and compensation mechanisms, and create new arenas for its neighboring diplomacy.