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Governance and Partnership in the China-Africa Relationship: Rethinking Institutional Development and South-South Bilateral Cooperation

DOI: 10.4236/ojps.2026.162009, PP. 126-157

Keywords: China-Africa Relations, Governance Cooperation, Policy Transfer, Institutional Learning, South-South Cooperation, Public Administration Reform, Global Governance, Developmental Pragmatism

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Abstract:

This paper examines the dynamic importance of the governance and institutional decisions between China and Africa in the context of South-South cooperation. The study, based on a qualitative multi-case study design about Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo, and the Benin Republic, explores how the governance practices or models of the Chinese, including the developmental pragmatism, the efficiency of the administration, and policy experimentation, are accommodated and localised among dissimilar African political and institutional settings. The information gathered by semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis, and fieldwork can point to the realisation that the collaboration between China and African countries in governance goes beyond the normal donor-receiving relationships and establishes mutual learning, policy fusion, and capacity development for institutions. Results indicate that African nations do not adopt Chinese forms of governance: performance evaluation systems, computer-mediated public administration, and anti-corruption systems selectively and preserve their national political autonomy. These adjustments have been strongly linked to measurable improvements in administrative efficiency, service delivery, and anti-corruption effectiveness, as well as the transformative nature of South-South governance cooperation. The paper finds that China-Africa governance dialogue is a viable alternative to the Western-centrist governance approach, which advocates pluralistic, context-directed, and sustainable institutional growth routes that are transforming the global system of governance.

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