Due to its long-term negative health efects and increasing emissions, the PM2.5 issue
has caused rising concerns in recent years. Although ofcial media from East Asian
countries tend to avoid blaming PM emission sources on their neighboring countries,
researches have proved the existence of pronounced long-range trans-boundary
particulate matters transported by nature force and by human activities. In this context,
this paper included the structural path analysis (SPA) to quantify trans-boundary
PM2.5 at sector level, track its transaction paths and fgure out the linkages between
consumption and production responsibilities of China, Japan and Korea. Based on the
results and policy reviews of current environmental cooperation mechanisms, this
paper found that: Considering the China–Japan and China–Korea trades, China’s net
exportation of embodied PM2.5 emissions has exceeded the importation rates over 10
times (CHN → JPN, 56.53 kt, JPN → CHN, 3.58 kt; CHN → KOR, 59.19 kt, KOR → CHN,
5.31 kt). Japan and Korea benefted from importing raw materials with high emission
intensity from China to meet domestic consumption needs and keep a low national
emission level. China, the largest emitter in the world, should frst take the responsibility
to mitigate its huge domestic PM2.5 emission. However, the relocated emissions
from its neighboring countries should not be ignored. For Japan or Korea, due to the
close economic interdependence and geographical position, any contribution to the
reduction of the trans-boundary emissions or to the solution of atmosphere problems
within China also helps those countries themselves. In the long run, all three countries
would beneft from enhancing subregional environmental cooperation

• Tracking the PM2.5 inventories embodied in the trade among China, Japan and Korea