Analysis Of Ecological Elements Flow In Foreign Trade Of China

The development of international trade liberalization has become an irresistible historical trend. Some evidences have showed that developed countries or regions import natural resources and environmental services which results in resources transfer from developing countries to developed ones while pollutants flow in the reverse direction. Now international trade is not only to barter one thing for another. Ecological capital and environmental space have been paid more attention. Electric rubbish trades, high pollution indust\ries migrate, transnational purchase of primary products and so on are all under the name of international trade. In recent years, export-oriented economy of China has played a great role in increasing GDP. The globalization not only brings great economic interests to China, but also brings many negative effects and crisis which is not easy to be conscious. The production process of trade goods needs lands, water, energy, minerals, woods and other ecological elements and at the same time it emits kinds of waste materials and causes environmental pollution. Actually there exist ecological flows behind international trade. For example, Erdos cashmere exports grasslands which are facing the threat of serious desertification. Electrolytic aluminum exports electricity which is come from big dam with great ecological risks or thermal power station which is responsible for acid rain and global warming. Grains exports lands which are damaged by pesticides and fertilizers, and water which is rarer in China. Coke exports environmental capability while China bears sewage, waste gas, tar and other pollutants. These are all ecological costs or environmental costs in products which are out of the price system and are shouldered by the exporting country. The study of ecological economics has showed that it is quite unilaterally to evaluate the international trade from monetary term. A favorable balance of trade maybe brings the loss in ecological capital. It is necessary to evaluate the sustainability of trade from the point of view of ecological elements.As a leader of developing countries and with a vigorous development of international trade, what role does China play in global ecological elements flow? Does China endure the ecological exploit of other countries or get ecological benefits of trade from globalization? What is the relationship between trade structure and ecological elements flow? How to evaluate the sustainability of trade and construct a sustainable trade system from the view of ecological endowment? In accordance with these questions, we quantitatively analyzed various ecological elements flow--material flow, embodied energy, virtual water and pollution footprint, discussed the location and role of China in international ecological elements trade and brought up some suggestions about the construction of sustainable trade in China. The main research results are as follows:1. With the data from Almanac of China's Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, we analyzed the material flow in primary commodity trade of China from 1950 to 2001 according to trade regions and product types. The result shows that: 1) there is a great difference in measuring international trade with money flow and material flow. Material flow is more important in the research of sustainable trade. 2) Since 1980s, the net import of primary products in China showed an inverse U curve. It states clearly that from the point of view of trade structure, China has completed economical transformation and got into the period of resource expansion. China net imported ecological capital from other countries of the world. 3) The trade structures between China and six continents were different. China mainly imported primary products from Asia, Oceania, Latin America and Africa while exports to Asia and Europe. Most of the net imported primary commodities came from Oceania, Africa and Latin America.2. With the trade data and industry output data from China Statistical Yearbook, energy consumption data from China Energy Statistical Yearbook and Input-Output Table of China (1997), embodied energy in goods trade of China from 1994-2001 was estimated. Some conclusions can be drawn from the study: 1) the trade structure of China in this period is beneficial for domestic energy conservation. The average energy intensity of imports was always higher than that of exports. As a trade surplus country, China actually net imported embodied energy in recent several years. 2) The net import volume of embodied energy was of the same order of magnitude as that of real energy and the energy supply effect of embodied energy trade to domestic demand should not be neglected. 3) The study of embodied energy trade is important for us to distinguish energy consumption in a country and by a country, which will provide an efficient method to judge a country's responsibility for global warming.3. With the data from China Customs Statistics Yearbook and the common calculate method of virtual water, the volume of virtual water in China's grains trade from 1996 to 2002 was calculated, the results show that China imported considerable quantities of virtual water, saved domestic water resources, released the pressure to grains production areas of China and contributed to the increase of global waterefficiency. Although importing virtual water through grains trade can't completely resolve the water crisis of China which maybe cause food security, biological invasions, GM food safety and other social and economic issues, the concept of virtual water can give us a new point of view to understand grains trade and water transfer project.4. From the concept of pollution footprint, we used industrial output and pollution data from China Statistical Yearbook and Input-Output Analysis to analyze the pollution intensity of industrial sectors and calculated the pollution costs and benefits of industrial products trade of China from 1994 to 2001. Some conclusions can be drawn from the study: 1) the pollution intensity of exports was lower than that of imports in industrial products trade of China, which is beneficial to domestic environmental protection. 2) China transferred pollution footprint overseas although with a trade plus in industrial products from 1999 to 2001. 3) The most significant sector which net exported pollution footprint was Chemical Industry and those of net imports were Textile Industry and Machinery Industry. The study is helpful for distinguishing the emission responsibility of a country and giving suggestions to environmental and trade policy decisions.All above shows that China not only obtains economic benefits but also kinds of ecological benefits in recent foreign trade. China net imported primary products, embodied energy, virtual water and net exported pollution footprint, which is beneficial for promoting domestic sustainable development. Through trade, China not only released the pressure to domestic ecological environment but also increased global resource use efficiency. The study of ecological elements flow in international trade can help us distinguish environmental elements consumption in a country and by a country and judge a country's ecological responsibility. It can also play great roles in future environmental negotiations. The study not only provides a new method framework to evaluate international trade from the point of view of ecological economics but also has great reference value for government to rethink and adjust trade and environmental policy.