Experimentalist governance in China: The National Innovation System, 2003–2018

Abstract Various policy initiatives have been launched to spur innovation in China. They include pilot cities, self-dependent demonstration areas, and comprehensive reform zones. By reviewing the policy formulation processes of these initiatives, we describe the distinct features of experimentalist governance in China. And, we add to policy process theory by analyzing their authority distribution, strategic objectives, and policy goals and instruments. China’s pursuit of its innovation strategy has caused three experimentalist governance patterns to emerge. The cities explore policy alternatives through adaptive reconciliation. The regions test policy instruments through selective recognition. And, the central government uses hierarchical experimentation to deploy its policy frameworks. Through the temporal and spatial interactions of China’s multilevel governments, these patterns have shaped a progressive approach to the formation (or reformation) of the nation’s innovation policy.