The body of literature that examines how institutional contexts a}ect environmental governance in advanced industrial countries _nds that style of environmental regulation is country!speci_c[ In the pluralist form of democracy like the United States\ environmental policy formulation involves bargaining and compromises among interest groups and regulation enforcement through relatively formal and legalistic means[ In the corporatist form of democracy like Sweden and Great Britain\ in contrast\ environmental policies are more accommodating to divergent societal interests and tend to be less formal in their enforcement[ These variations in regulatory style have been attributed to di}erences in basic constitutional structures\ regime types and cultures[ How do institutional contexts a}ect the style of environmental regulation in China\ which is both a non!democratic and developing country< This article examines China|s regulatory style by focusing on environmental impact assessment "EIA# regulation in Shanghai[ The Shanghai EIA system is analyzed in terms of policy ideology\ policy content\ regulatory process\ public participation and policy consequences[ It is shown that China|s being a single!party regime with a {rule of persons| tradition has heavily shaped its environmental governance[ Based on Shanghai experience\ China|s style can be characterized as formal in requirement\ agency! dominated in the regulatory process\ legalistic in enforcement\ and informal politics as the substance of regulation[ Copyright ร 1999