China’s rapid economic growth has taken it closer to the frontiers of ecological collapse. Evidence of the ecological limits of its coal-based economic growth model began to emerge in the 1980s. China’s model did deliver strong economic growth rates and the electrification of its economy. This model also delivered technology spillovers from multinationals, setting the scene for the emergence of a new economic model based more on innovation and environmental sustainability. This new model has started to appear. China’s innovation success threatens US hegemony. Intellectual property rights and trade wars are a proxy for US fears about losing its dominance of innovation and military technology. Successful innovation by China represents the best chance of avoiding the worst climate change scenarios.
