Beyond Contradiction: “Weak Consistency” as Policy Divergence in China's Multilevel Renewable Energy Governance

ABSTRACT Ensuring vertical policy consistency is essential for achieving China's “dual carbon” goals and energy transition, yet it is complicated by a top‐down, multilevel governance system. A comprehensive understanding of consistency between national and provincial renewable energy policy mixes remains a key research gap. This study addresses this gap by developing an analytical framework that conceptualizes consistency as a unidirectional relationship focusing on the provincial‐level response to central directives. We analyzed 398 renewable energy policy documents to assess vertical policy consistency across three key interactions: national‐provincial strategies, national‐provincial instruments, and national strategies‐provincial instruments. Our findings reveal a truncated spectrum of policy interaction: inconsistency is absent, and divergence consistently manifests as weak consistency. While we observed strong consistency at the strategic level, significant substantive implementation gaps emerged at the instrument level. This non‐linear relationship is rooted in China's unique central‐provincial dynamics—specifically the tension between centralized political control and provincial economic decentralization. Provincial governments often employ feigned compliance to balance rigid top‐down mandates with regional economic interests. These findings refine Western‐centric policy mix theories for unitary systems. We demonstrate that the weak consistency and dynamic of feigned compliance are typical governance features across China's broader energy industries and public policy sectors. Consequently, the theoretical and practical focus should shift from preventing negative interactions to addressing the substantive implementation gaps caused by selective implementation.