In recent years, the Chinese government, motivated by rapidly increasing energy demand and limited oil and natural gas reserves, has promoted policies for energy efficiency and research investments in new energy-saving technologies. At the same time, China has also become home to distinct forms of industrial innovation, which often occur downstream in technology commercialization and redefinition (Brandt & Thun, 2010; Breznitz & Murphee, 2011; Ernst & Naughton, 2008). Some evidence suggests that these two themes could be synergistic; that is, despite having less stringent requirements in WTO negotiations (WTO, 1979), developing nations like China that receive large amounts of foreign investment may be able to successfully reduce pollution while contributing to industrial innovation (Wheeler, 2001). Given this context, this symposium unpacks the tensions between China’s governmental structure and policies, opportunities for industrial innovation by local and multinational firms, and the implications for energy efficiency and the environment. Together, the four papers in this symposium illustrate how general goals, such as adopting energy-saving technologies, can be achieved despite seemingly conflicting government and market goals and incentives, and emphasize the importance of both state and market forces in influencing China’s role in the global economy in terms of production, consumption, innovation, and the environment. Firm-level Energy Efficiency Gains Within China’s Industries: The Role of Ownership Presenter: Valerie Karplus; MIT Sloan Presenter: Cao Jing; Tsinghua U. State and Market: Institutions of Technology Standardization in China Presenter: Michael Murphree; U. of South Carolina Presenter: Dan Breznitz; Georgia Tech Contradictory or Complementary? Innovation and Manufacturing Policy in China’s Wind and Solar Se... Presenter: Jonas Nahm; MIT Sloan Will Subsidies Drive Electric Vehicle Adoption? Measuring Consumer Preferences in the U.S. and ... Presenter: John Paul Helveston; Carnegie Mellon U. Presenter: Yimin Liu; Ford Motor Company Presenter: Elea McDonnell Feit; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Presenter: Erica Renee Fuchs; Carnegie Mellon U. Presenter: Erica Klampfl; Ford Motor Company Presenter: Jeremy Michalek; Carnegie Mellon U.