APEC blue

In 2014, the Chinese Communist Party launched the APEC Blue initiative, a series of stringent environmental policies aimed at meeting emission targets, modernizing the state's image, and mitigating public anxiety over air pollution. The state takes a centralized, top-down approach to environmental regulations and pursues policy efficiency through blunt administrative instruments. China's environmental governance exemplifies authoritarian environmentalism, where expedient results often override procedural justice and sustainable development . The APEC Blue creates an international spectacle for the global audience but also perpetuates socio-economic divides in rural China.