The major goal of this paper is to focus on the linkage between sea transportation, trade liberalization and industrial development in the context of carbon dioxide emission. With this respect, it is attempted to analyze the effects of independent variables on the dependent variable carbon dioxide emission for China by using annual data ranging from 1960 to 2019 with the help of econometric methods such as fully modified least square, dynamic ordinary least square, canonical co-integrating regression, autoregressive distributed lag bound test and generalized moments method. According to the results of fully modified least square, dynamic ordinary least square and canonical co-integrating regression models, there is a significant long-term relationship between sea transportation, trade liberalization, industrial development and carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, short term autoregressive distributed lag bound test estimation results reveal that the main determinants of carbon dioxide emission in the short-run are industrial development and sea transportation. The empirical tests reveal important results for policy-makers in China.