Objective To analyze the logic of governance in major public health crises in China based on the theoretical analysis of policy instruments, thereby summarizing practical experiences. Methods Using content analysis, this study systematically examined 363 policy texts on major public health crisis governance issued by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2020. Based on three‑dimensional analytical framework incorporating policy instrument theory, the selection and combination of policy instruments construction, the coordination and governance of policy actors, and the stages and integration of policy functions, the functional phases were divided into four: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery, and quantitative analyses were conducted on the types of policy instruments, characteristics of policy actor's participation, and phase‑specific adaptation patterns of policy instrument combination. Results The categories of policy instruments used for major public health crisis governance in China were predominantly compulsory and mixed, with voluntary instruments being supplementary； furthermore information persuasion, regulation, and direct provision were the most frequently employed tools. China's major public health crisis governance exhibited a pluralistic co‑governance pattern characterized by government leadership, social collaboration, and market supplementation. The policy instrument usage was dynamically adjusted across functional phases: compulsory policy instruments predominated during the mitigation and response phases, whereas mixed policy instruments were more prevalent during the preparation and recovery phases. Conclusion Scientifically delineating policy functional phases is a prerequisite, multi-policy actor coordination is a key factor, and optimizing policy instrument combination is the core element. The governance logic of major public health crises in China is highly consistent with that of general public crisis governance, which may provide both theoretical references and practical evidence for improving the governance system for major public health emergencies. 

无