| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to take a look at the main reasonsfor the apparent ineffectiveness of the environmental regulatoryregime in the People's Republic of China. In order to assessthe current state of China's environmental legislation framework,an overview of all major environmental codifications is provided,firstly, by establishing the institutional and historical contextand, secondly, by reviewing environmental legislation and policies.This examination will reveal that China's environmental protectionregime is surprisingly comprehensive, even though statutorydeficiencies exist, and will highlight enforcement tensionsbetween the centre and the peripherya result of decentralizationand growing local protectionismas major obstacles tothe implementation process. |
