This article discusses how much the clean development mechanism (CDM) can contribute to the deployment of renewable energies (RE) in China. While there are at least two general barriers to utilizing CDM finance for RE deployment – namely high project costs and the proof of additionality – this article argues that an appropriate national regulation can lead RE technologies to a stage of commercialisation at which CDM financing can become crucial. For an assessment of the current policy mix in place in China for the deployment of renewable energies, the article compares the national Chinese regulations for renewable energies and China’s specific CDM rules for their impact: where do general and CDM-specific regulations for the promotion of renewable energies provide synergies, where does the policy-making on these two levels collide?