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In the face of unprecedented economic and industrial growth levels, China is rapidly developing its system of environmental governance. Coming from a conventional command-and-control approach to environmental policy, which fitted well its centrally planned economy, transitional China is swiftly reforming and diversifying its environmental approaches, instruments, arrangements and legal regulations. This article aims to grasp and assess the direction, extent and speed of change in China's environmental governance. New relations between state, market and civil society, and an opening up towards the outside world characterise new modes of environmental governance that try to turn China's development path in more sustainable directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies the central themes that emerge from this issue regarding the development of environmental governance in China. In several respects China appears to be adopting a familiar Western model, including the emergence of more progressive environmental policies, expanding environmental capacities, a shift from regulation to governance and an increasing role for civil society. Yet China retains distinctive features, notably the central role of the state, the continuing restrictions on democratic accountability and, significantly, some innovative environmental initiatives. As China opens up to the world her position as a global superpower is creating an increasingly important new role in shaping global environmental politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]