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Public participation as one of the key concepts underpinning the principles and practice of good governance has been attached more and more importance by Chinese government, however, the current situation suggesting that it is not yet ripe for full public participation in China. This study reviews the origin and current situation of public participation in China, and based on reviews and interviews carried out in 2009 it argues that the legislative provisions for public participation are still confined to high-sounding principles. It goes on to argue that its weak enforcement in China lies not only in the undefined procedure of public participation according to the regulations, but also in the degree of information disclosure and a lack of active consultation, amongst other reasons. With reference to experience of public participation in neighboring Japan, some recommendations to improve the weaknesses are proposed.

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Environmental impact assessment is widely recognized as an effective tool for supporting the sustainable development and accepted as an important decision support tool in planning. Although more than 100 countries have set up their environmental impact assessment systems, less than half are predicated on clear and specific legal provisions. The review system that is used within Taiwan is different from other countries in the manner in which the application is processed and reviewed. Thus, the current paper attempts to analyze the process and characteristics of EIA review system in Taiwan, thereafter, Pinnan industrial park project EIA is used as an example to demonstrate the detailed EIA review system.