Green Debt Traps : The Securitization of Climate Change in Chinese Political Discourse

This thesis explores how China’s green investments in Africa affect national sovereignty by creating structures of economic dependency. Using a combination of securitization theory and dependency theory within a critical discourse analysis (CDA) framework, the study examines how climate change is discursively constructed as a security threat through official Chinese discourse to legitimize Chinese investments. The thesis employs a case study of Chinese investments and related discourse in Zambia, notably the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Project (KGL). Through CDA, the study identifies key discursive strategies, using analytical tools from CDA, keywords, legitimation, and categorization, that present Chinese investment as mutual and environmentally necessary while masking underlying power asymmetries. The findings show how China uses the securitization of climate change to normalize its economic involvement, blending moral appeals with strategic economic interests. This process reinforces Zambia’s dependency through debt structures and aligns with core-periphery dynamics outlined by dependency theorists. The study contributes to the “debt trap diplomacy” debate by illustrating how securitized climate narratives can facilitate economic dependency without overt coercion. It also highlights the importance of discourse in shaping geopolitical realities, suggesting that future research should further explore the interplay between environmental securitization and global financial aid programs beyond China.