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The Construction of an Ecological Civilization responds to the serious environmental crisis in China and is already beginning to cause paradigm shifts in domestic environmental policies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the country's geopolitical ambition and importance as a normative power in global governance issues became ever more evident. Through constructivist theory, we analyze Beijing's role in institutions, national norm-setting and its potential to redefine the global environmental order. The Chinese participation in international organizations and eco-compensations are discussed to indicate possible future efforts in the definition of environmental agendas. We conclude that China already contributes normatively to the environmental area, especially in countries of the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]