RETHINKING AND RECONCEPTUALIZING ENERGY SECURITY: THE CASE OF CHINA

This study examines the concept of energy security and proposes an alternative paradigm in the context of the climate crisis. In this context, the presuppositions of mainstream and contemporary approaches towards energy security in International Relations discipline will be examined and formulated in four sorts of approaches as realist, liberal, environmental and human security. These approaches will be classified as traditional and contemporary energy security paradigms. This study contends that the connection to realist and liberal approaches is the predominant strategy in the field of energy security and for this reason, the relationship between energy and security needs to be reconceptualized. Although environmental and human security approaches have been effective in deepening the boundaries of energy security, a critical perspective is necessary for both mainstream and contemporary energy security paradigms. In this regard, the focus will be directed to the energy security policies of China to accentuate problematic aspects of the contemporary energy security paradigm. Then, the concept of planetary security as normative and interdisciplinary framework for the energy security policies, which have been in search of a paradigm, will be proposed.