Energy-related　carbon　emissions　take　a　large　proportion　in　China,　and　the　interregional　trade　caused　by　provincial　disparities　has　led　to　significant　differences　in　carbon　footprint　(CF)　and　embodied　carbon　flows　among　provinces　that　make　great　bottlenecks　for　the　balance　of　economic　development　and　carbon　mitigation.　In　this　study,　we　developed　an　embodied　carbon　flow-based　ecological　network　(ECFEN)　model　with　economic　trade　and　emission　data　through　combining　the　multi-regional　input-output　model　and　ecological　network　analysis　approach.　The　developed　ECFEN　model　was　applied　to　30　provinces　in　China　to　quantify　the　interprovincial　flow　of　carbon　embodied　in　final　goods　and　services　and　identify　the　ecological　utility　(competitive,　exploitative,　and　exploited)　and　control/dependence　relationships　between　different　regions.　The　main　findings　can　be　summarized　as　follows:　Firstly,　Jiangsu　had　the　highest　total　CF　with　amount　of　906　Mt,　which　was　approximately　24.5　times　than　that　of　Hainan　(37　Mt).　Especially,　the　local　CF　in　Shandong　was　the　largest　among　all　of　the　provinces　with　an　amount　of　683　Mt.　Secondly,　13　pairs　of　embodied　carbon　flow　paths　exceeded　20　Mt,　and　the　remarkable　embodied　carbon　flowed　from　resource-oriented　regions　(e.g.,　Inner　Mongolia,　Shanxi,　Hebei)　to　economically　developed　eastern　coastal　provinces　and　municipalities　(e.g.,　Jiangsu,　Guangdong,　Beijing,　Chongqing).　Metallurgy　and　electricity,　water,　and　gas　contributed　30-80%　of　the　total　embodied　carbon　import　and　export　for　each　province.　Thirdly,　the　exploitative　and　exploited　relationship　dominated　the　ecological　relationship　between　provinces.　Meanwhile,　the　resource-oriented　regions　played　the　role　of　controllers　while　economically　developed　provinces　were　dependents.　On　the　one　hand,　the　central　government　could　take　vertical　compensation　measures　such　as　financial　subsidies　for　major　exporter　and　controllers.　On　the　other　hand,　it　is　necessary　to　take　horizontal　technical　transfer　especially　from　economically　developed　southeast　coastal　provinces　to　western　underdeveloped　inland　area.　The　obtained　results　and　policy　implications　are　expected　to　provide　reasonable　insights　for　decision-makers　to　formulate　carbon　mitigation　strategies　under　the　domestic　circulation　strategy.