Structures and Logic of EP Implementation and Administration in China

Dieter Grunow ()

Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell, 2011, vol. 40, issue 3, 37-75

Abstract: This paper describes empirical observations gathered during a research project on the implementation of environmental protection (EP) policies in China. The project focused on local EP in both urban and rural areas. Policy field analysis was used as a conceptual framework for structuring the observations. The paper develops in three main steps discussing the following topics: 1) Collective problems within the policy field of EP show that EP issues in general are unlike those of other policy fields. Official EP policies in China today resemble those of other countries – but they are separating issues and responsibilities, making local implementation very demanding. 2) China lags behind in its willingness and ability to implement these policies – leading to implementation gaps. To explore the causes and consequences, specific sites in China are described in an extended look at local implementation structures. It was found that although policies in China are basically the same everywhere, the structures for implementing them and the quality of their implementation vary widely with regard to resources, organization, coordination, staff qualifications, personnel placement, and other aspects. 3) Not all of the challenges hampering local implementation of environmental policies were China-specific; however, some of those which are can be described as the macro-context: an ineffective rule of law, insufficient involvement of civil society, and complicated macro-structures of public administration prevent a generally high level of successful EP implementation in China.

Keywords: China; EP implementation; local EP administration; implementation gap; staff performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-08
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jcca/article/view/453/452 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gig:chaktu:v:40:y:2011:i:3:p:37-75

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.giga-hamburg.de/china-aktuell

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell from Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Karsten Giese () and Heike Holbig ().