The logic behind policy articulation in the Chinese command hierarchy

Table 3.1 Three varieties of policy directives
Understood in a stylized manner, the directives issued by the Chinese leadership may be grouped into three colored signals: red, black, and gray. Directives that make clear what cannot be done by local agents are known in Chinese policy discourse as “red lines.” Red policies permit no variation. For local governments, red lines constitute binding constraints. 
A second, “gray” variety comprises policy statements where the leadership is deliberately ambiguous about what can and cannot be done. These policies per- 
mit local experimentation and variation because restrictions are not explicitly stated. Adaptive responses to ambiguous directives produce feedback that then informs the central authorities about how policies should be adjusted. 
The final category is what I call “black” policies: written and publicized instructions that clearly sanction a particular course of action. This form of directive empowers local agents to take bold action.