Ecological imperialism refers to the actions of developed capitalist countries, in pursuit of maximum profits and economic, political, and cultural hegemony, to plunder and destroy the natural resources, ecological environments, and ecosystems of developing countries while transferring ecological crises. This concept encompasses the developmental stages of capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism, characterized by aggression, expansion, profit-seeking, proliferation, and hegemony, representing a new manifestation of imperialism under the global ecological crisis. Ecological imperialism not only involves ecological logic but also political-economic and cultural logic, providing a theoretical foundation for environmental justice and ecological criticism. It holds significant importance for ecological literary creation and criticism, offering insights for developing countries to guard against ecological colonization and build ecological civilization.

The concept of ecological imperialism was first proposed by the American environmental historian Crosby in his monograph, which described the biological expansion of European colonialists in regions outside Europe between 900 and 1900. Crosby argued that the victory of European imperialists in colonies ultimately stemmed from biological and ecological factors, as European biological expansion altered the ecosystems of the colonies, transforming them into "new Europes." Ecological imperialism is essentially the manifestation of imperialism in the ecological domain, closely linked to capitalism and colonialism, with all three containing elements of ecological imperialism. The capitalist mode of production seeks infinite extraction of surplus value, leading capitalists to continuously expand reproduction, engage in ecological, economic, and cultural expansion, oppress and exploit people both domestically and abroad, and plunder resources and energy. Colonialism is an aggressive policy by Western powers to oppress, enslave, and exploit "backward" countries, with its forms changing according to the stages of capitalist development. Imperialism, as monopoly capitalism, intensifies the dual exploitation and plundering of domestic and foreign lands, nature, resources, energy, and people to secure high profits, engaging in the ecological and economic expansion of ecological imperialism.

The foundational figure of postcolonial studies, Said, linked imperialism to ecological aggression, arguing that imperialism is the coveting, selection, and control of lands that do not belong to you—distant, inhabited, and possessed by others—constituting an act of geographical violence. Ecological Marxist scholars such as Marcuse, Pepper, and Foster further developed the concept of ecological imperialism, pointing out that developed capitalist countries commit new ecological crimes by relocating heavily polluting industries, plundering global natural resources, shifting environmental problems to developing countries, and exacerbating environmental pollution in these nations, making them the primary culprits of the global ecological crisis.

The connotation of ecological imperialism includes imperialist nations plundering and destroying the natural resources of less developed countries, leading to ecological imbalances and even global ecological crises; economically, it involves exploiting the natural resources, energy, and labor of developing countries to secure production materials and reap high profits; politically, it entails applying double standards in ecological protection and social development, consuming more resources and energy while restricting the development of developing countries. Additionally, it imposes the development models, values, and environmental policies of developed countries on developing nations, interfering with their environmental policies and development models. The goal of ecological imperialism is to control developing countries and dominate the world.

The critiques of environmental injustice, capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism by Marx, Engels, and Lenin provided theoretical resources for later critiques of ecological imperialism. They criticized the development model and harms of capitalism, supported anti-colonial struggles, and advocated for the liberation of the proletariat and all humanity. The origin of ecological imperialism critique is generally traced to Crosby, whose main arguments are contained in his monograph *Ecological Imperialism*. He believed that the history of European ecological imperialism dates back to 900, rather than the late 19th and early 20th centuries when capitalism evolved into imperialism. Over a thousand years from 900 to 1900, European imperialists established colonies, which Crosby attributed to European biological expansion, as the colonies Europeans created were essentially "new Europes."

In contemporary literary theory's critique of ecological imperialism, the theory of environmental justice ecological criticism has emerged, with ecological imperialism becoming a key term. This theory, grounded in a composite perspective of gender, race, ethnicity, class, species, and nature, advocates for environmental justice, opposes environmental racism, environmental colonialism, and ecological imperialism, and calls for environmental justice between developed and developing countries, urban and rural areas, and among different racial, gender, class, income, ethnic, and national groups. Ecological feminist criticism, postcolonial ecological criticism, and ecological Marxist criticism, among other socially oriented ecological critique models, emphasize perspectives of race, gender, and class in environmental justice critique, opposing and denouncing all forms of oppression while exposing and condemning all environmental injustices.

Conclusion

Ecological imperialism is the manifestation of imperialism in the ecological domain, characterized by aggression and expansion, colluding with capitalism and colonialism, and serving as the root cause of ecological crises. It critiques and develops Marxist critiques of capitalism and colonialism, extending Lenin's critique of imperialism into the ecological realm. The critique of ecological imperialism has become a target for the three major schools of environmental justice, encompassing multiple topics and expanding the horizons of ecological criticism. It reveals the multidimensional罪恶 nature of ecological imperialism, providing guidance for the Third World to guard against ecological imperialist aggression and offering inspiration for the construction of socialist ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics.