Ongoing economic modernization has expanded access to safe drinking water for hundreds of millions of people in China, but it has also severely polluted and taxed the country’s water resources. Leaders in Beijing have taken steps to address water security threats, but considerable obstacles persist.
Decades of economic growth have enabled China’s leaders to make considerable strides in increasing food access across the country, but China’s economic boom has generated a new set of demographic demands and environmental strains.
Air-quality concerns affect China both at home and abroad. Domestic demands on environmental protections have influenced the government’s social and economic policies, while hazardous air pollution has harmed the country’s international image.
