China's International Transboundary Rivers: Politics, Security and Diplomacy of Shared Water Resources

countries, and has frequently been accused of harming its downstream neighbours through its domestic water management policies, such as the construction of dams for hydropower. This book provides an understanding
of water security in Asia by investigating how shared water resources affect China’s relationships with neighbouring countries in South-East, South, Central and North-East Asia.
Since China is an upstream state on most of its shared transboundary rivers, the country’s international water
policy is at the core of Asia’s water security. These water disputes have had strong implications for China’s interstate relations, and also influenced its international water policy alongside domestic concerns over water
resource management.
This book investigates China’s policy responses to domestic water crises and examines China’s international water
policy as well as its strategy in dealing with international cooperation. The authors describe the key elements
of water diplomacy in Asia which demonstrate varying degrees of effectiveness of environmental agreements. It
shows how China has established various institutional arrangements with neighbouring countries, primarily in the
form of bilateral agreements over hydrological data exchange. Detailed case studies are included of the Mekong,
Brahmaputra, Ili and Amur rivers.