IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i4p969-d1341445.html

Embodied Carbon Transfer in China’s Bilateral Trade with Belt and Road Countries from the Perspective of Global Value Chains

Author

Listed:
  • Mingyin Zhao

    (Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, High-Tech Pack, Dalian 116024, China)

  • Yadong Ning

    (Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, High-Tech Pack, Dalian 116024, China)

  • Shukuan Bai

    (Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, High-Tech Pack, Dalian 116024, China)

  • Boya Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, High-Tech Pack, Dalian 116024, China)

Abstract

In the context of global value chains (GVCs), the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on China’s bilateral trade with Belt and Road countries (BRCs) is controversial. This study constructed a GVC accounting framework based on a multiregional input–output model, aiming to clarify the trends and transfer characteristics of the value added (VA) and the embodied carbon emissions (ECEs) in China–BRCs bilateral trade from 2000 to 2018 at the overall country, Belt and Road region (BRR), and typical country levels. The relevant results are threefold. (1) At the overall country level, the BRCs VA and ECEs imports and exports have shown overall increasing trends. (2) Most BRRs are net ECE exporters to China. Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia are the main ECEs destinations and sources. (3) In China–typical BRCs bilateral trade, China is a net ECEs exporter to most typical BRCs, and the net ECE transfers through route 1 (onefold value chain) are all positive, implying that route 1 can reduce ECEs in BRCs. These findings can help formulate policies and measures to reduce carbon emissions and provide a scientific basis for realizing the coordinated development of carbon emission reduction and economy in China and BRCs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mingyin Zhao & Yadong Ning & Shukuan Bai & Boya Zhang, 2024. "Embodied Carbon Transfer in China’s Bilateral Trade with Belt and Road Countries from the Perspective of Global Value Chains," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:4:p:969-:d:1341445
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/4/969/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/4/969/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, H. & Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin, 2017. "Multiplicative structural decomposition analysis of energy and emission intensities: Some methodological issues," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 47-63.
    2. Robert Koopman & Zhi Wang & Shang-Jin Wei, 2014. "Tracing Value-Added and Double Counting in Gross Exports," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(2), pages 459-494, February.
    3. Miroudot, Sébastien & Ye, Ming, 2022. "Decomposing value added in gross exports from a country and bilateral perspective," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    4. Zhong, Zhangqi & Jiang, Lei & Zhou, Peng, 2018. "Transnational transfer of carbon emissions embodied in trade: Characteristics and determinants from a spatial perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 858-875.
    5. Baniya, Suprabha & Rocha, Nadia & Ruta, Michele, 2020. "Trade effects of the New Silk Road: A gravity analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    6. Shi, Qiaoling & Shan, Yuli & Zhong, Chao & Cao, Ye & Xue, Rui, 2022. "How would GVCs participation affect carbon intensity in the “Belt and Road Initiative” countries?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    7. Lu, Qinli & Fang, Kai & Heijungs, Reinout & Feng, Kuishuang & Li, Jiashuo & Wen, Qi & Li, Yanmei & Huang, Xianjin, 2020. "Imbalance and drivers of carbon emissions embodied in trade along the Belt and Road Initiative," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    8. Fan, Jing-Li & Da, Ya-Bin & Wan, Si-Lai & Zhang, Mian & Cao, Zhe & Wang, Yu & Zhang, Xian, 2019. "Determinants of carbon emissions in ‘Belt and Road initiative’ countries: A production technology perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 268-279.
    9. Muhammad Uzair Ali & Ying Wang, 2024. "Pollution haven or pollution halo? The role of global value chains in Belt and Road economies," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 168-189, February.
    10. Zhi Wang & Shang-Jin Wei & Xinding Yu & Kunfu Zhu, 2017. "Measures of Participation in Global Value Chains and Global Business Cycles," NBER Working Papers 23222, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Hongguang Liu & Klaus Lackner & Xiaomei Fan, 2021. "Value-added involved in CO2 emissions embodied in global demand-supply chains," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 64(1), pages 76-100, January.
    12. Kaku Attah Damoah & Giorgia Giovannetti & Enrico Marvasi, 2023. "Five Stylized Facts on Belt and Road Countries and Their Trade Patterns," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 31(1), pages 149-181, January.
    13. Fernando Ascensão & Lenore Fahrig & Anthony P. Clevenger & Richard T. Corlett & Jochen A. G. Jaeger & William F. Laurance & Henrique M. Pereira, 2018. "Environmental challenges for the Belt and Road Initiative," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(5), pages 206-209, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Keping Men & Hui Sun, 2025. "The Impact of GVC Participation on China’s Trade-Implicit Carbon Emission Intensity: A Moderating Effect Based on Industrial Digitalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-20, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shi, Qiaoling & Zhao, Yuhuan & Qian, Zhiling & Zheng, Lu & Wang, Song, 2022. "Global value chains participation and carbon emissions: Evidence from Belt and Road countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    2. Xiao, Zhaohua & Du, Limin & Wang, Zheng, 2023. "The Belt, the Road, and the carbon emissions in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Qingbo Huang & Yuhao Wang & Xiaohan Zhang & Yan Li, 2025. "Reducing transport carbon intensity in the belt and road countries using the global value chain and the moderating role of digital industrialization," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(10), pages 24019-24043, October.
    4. Zhang, Danyang & Wang, Hui & Löschel, Andreas & Zhou, Peng, 2021. "The changing role of global value chains in CO2 emission intensity in 2000–2014," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    5. Huang, Wendi & Zhang, Weikang, 2024. "Exchange rate and corporate investment: Heterogeneous effects via the global value chain networks," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    6. Guo, Xuefan & Xu, Dingyi & Zhu, Kunfu, 2023. "Measuring digitalization effects in China: A global value chain perspective," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Sunghun Lim, 2021. "Global Agricultural Value Chains and Structural Transformation," NBER Chapters, in: Risks in Agricultural Supply Chains, pages 29-57, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Rodríguez del Valle, Adrián & Fernández-Vázquez, Esteban, 2024. "Analyzing market power of the agricultural industry in Asia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 652-669.
    9. Yang, Wei & Wang, Xueke, 2024. "The impact of patent protection on technological innovation: A global value chain division of labor perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    10. Michael Sposi & Kei-Mu Yi & Jing Zhang, 2021. "Trade Integration, Global Value Chains, and Capital Accumulation," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 69(3), pages 505-539, September.
    11. Vito Amendolagine & Andrea F. Presbitero & Roberta Rabellotti, 2025. "Chinese infrastructure lending in Africa and participation in global value chains," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 161(1), pages 7-48, February.
    12. M Mancini & P Montalbano & S Nenci & D Vurchio, 2024. "Positioning in Global Value Chains: World Map and Indicators, a New Dataset Available for GVC Analyses," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 38(4), pages 669-690.
    13. Can Li & Qi He & Han Ji, 2023. "Can Global Value Chain Upgrading Promote Regional Economic Growth? Empirical Evidence and Mechanism Analysis Based on City-Level Panel Data in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-22, July.
    14. Shi, Qiaoling & Shan, Yuli & Zhong, Chao & Cao, Ye & Xue, Rui, 2022. "How would GVCs participation affect carbon intensity in the “Belt and Road Initiative” countries?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    15. Huang, Qingbo & Zhang, Xiaohan & Li, Yan, 2023. "Study on the economic effects of China and ASEAN countries from the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 123-135.
    16. Tong Zhao & Zhijie Song & Tianjiao Li, 2018. "Effect of innovation capacity, production capacity and vertical specialization on innovation performance in China's electronic manufacturing: Analysis from the supply and demand sides," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, July.
    17. Zhong, Zhangqi & Guo, Zhifang & Zhang, Jianwu, 2021. "Does the participation in global value chains promote interregional carbon emissions transferring via trade? Evidence from 39 major economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    18. Shi Wang & Shanshan Wang, 2025. "Will Participation in Dual Value Chains Promote Manufacturing Upgrades and Green Development?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-29, May.
    19. Swati Dhingra & Rebecca Freeman & Eleonora Mavroeidi, 2018. "Beyond tariff reductions: what extra boost from trade agreement provisions?," CEP Discussion Papers dp1532, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    20. Carlo Altomonte & Laura Bonacorsi & Italo Colantobe, 2018. "Trade and Growth in the Age of Global Value Chains," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 1897, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:4:p:969-:d:1341445. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.