This study explores what China's central government has done in relation to education for sustainable development (ESD) and what Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) have achieved in terms of ESD in response to SDG4. This is a qualitative case study focusing on China's central government and Beijing Normal University (BNU). The main form of data analyzed was documents. In total, we collected 48 policy documents, six speech transcripts and work statements, and 167 news releases. The results show that ESD has not been implemented holistically in China. Educational sectors promoted ESD because sustainable development has been emphasized in the national political strategy. However, the specific meaning of sustainable development in the educational sector is unclear, and the implementation has not been systematic. Overall, more attention has been paid to the natural dimension of ESD than to the social dimension. At BNU, ESD activities are conducted through three mechanisms: a coercive mechanism, a professional mechanism, and a cultural mechanism. Health, culture, and environmental protection have received more attention than social equity.