Policy Entrepreneurship, Policy Diffusion and Transboundary Environmental Regulation: Evidence from Southern China

Tackling transboundary marine emissions in Southern China is highly problematic because of the asymmetrical governance styles adopted by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments. HK-based policy entrepreneurs have used the opportunities afforded by their network governance approach to make initial headway in controlling marine and port-related emissions. Their further efforts to build a transboundary regulatory regime have been thwarted by mainland China?s top-down hierarchical mode of governance. It is demonstrated that the outcome of policy entrepreneurs? actions is highly contingent upon some larger institutional parameters.