Environmental Law and Policy in the People's Republic of China.

(Hardback)

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China in recent years has embarked on an extraordinary turnaround, dispensing with revolutionary rhetoric in favor of a more pragmatic approach to contemporary problems. Two areas where this change has been most visible are environmental affairs and law. Environmental Law and Policy in the People's Republic of China is the first book-length treatment of the increasingly important connection between these two areas in China. It assembles in one place the major articles and documents on environmental law and policy, together with an introduction, commentaries, and bibliography. Of special importance are items in judicial practice which cover several major cases involving pollution, as well as a discussion of the various alternatives in resolving environmental disputes.

Reviews

The authors have prepared what is, so far as I know, the first major study of a single area of internal Chinese law in the post-Mao period. They have collected and translated all the major statutes or proposed statutes in a single, rather narrow area -- environmental law -- and have added law review articles, newspaper articles, and other Chinese comments. They have even found a few cases, that is, decisions of courts in environmental matters. These are accompanied by a number of brief comments by the authors. . . This book does as good a job as is possible under present conditions to describe what can be known and (by implication) cannot be known about the Chinese legal system. It can be used to get some feeling for the way things are developing in the world of the extremely complex relations among lawyers, judges, central and local party officials, the increasingly independent economic enterprises, and the like that constitute the reality of Chinese law. The authors have done a remarkable job of collecting material. . . and their comments are quite perceptive.-The Journal of Asian Studies
The authors, Chinese policy and law specialists, shed light on the actual workings and policy of China's environmental administration. The articles by leading Chinese scholars and officials feature a concise historical introduction; selections on environmental regulations (air, water, marine resources, noise control, solid and toxic wastes); land, natural resources, and wildlife preservation and enforcement. The volume also features a section on legal cases and a lengthy appendix on laws, regulations, and other governmental actions. The authors, who prepared most of the translations, also filled large gaps in source citations (the Chinese appear to be notorious for ignoring references) and added valuable analytical and integrative comments to most of the selections. A well-organized, valuable source, not only for those interested in contemporary China, but for scholars with legal, policy, economic, and environmental bents, and for those concerned with international and comparative environmental issues. Charts ... and a solid working bibliography.-Choice
"The authors, Chinese policy and law specialists, shed light on the actual workings and policy of China's environmental administration. The articles by leading Chinese scholars and officials feature a concise historical introduction; selections on environmental regulations (air, water, marine resources, noise control, solid and toxic wastes); land, natural resources, and wildlife preservation and enforcement. The volume also features a section on legal cases and a lengthy appendix on laws, regulations, and other governmental actions. The authors, who prepared most of the translations, also filled large gaps in source citations (the Chinese appear to be notorious for ignoring references) and added valuable analytical and integrative comments to most of the selections. A well-organized, valuable source, not only for those interested in contemporary China, but for scholars with legal, policy, economic, and environmental bents, and for those concerned with international and comparative environmental issues. Charts ... and a solid working bibliography."-Choice
"The authors have prepared what is, so far as I know, the first major study of a single area of internal Chinese law in the post-Mao period. They have collected and translated all the major statutes or proposed statutes in a single, rather narrow area -- environmental law -- and have added law review articles, newspaper articles, and other Chinese comments. They have even found a few cases, that is, decisions of courts in environmental matters. These are accompanied by a number of brief comments by the authors. . . This book does as good a job as is possible under present conditions to describe what can be known and (by implication) cannot be known about the Chinese legal system. It can be used to get some feeling for the way things are developing in the world of the extremely complex relations among lawyers, judges, central and local party officials, the increasingly independent economic enterprises, and the like that constitute the reality of Chinese law. The authors have done a remarkable job of collecting material. . . and their comments are quite perceptive."-The Journal of Asian Studies

Author Bio

LESTER ROSS, currently a member of the Political Science faculty at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, is a specialist in comparative politics and public policy, with special emphasis on environmental and regulatory politics and policy. MITCHELL A. SILK is a research consultant in the East Asian Legal Studies Program at the University of Maryland Law School.