Governance and Partnership in the China-Africa Relationship
Rethinking Institutional Development and South-South Bilateral Cooperation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17822360 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Abu Bakarr Koroma (corresponding author), Desmond Sekyi, EMMANUEL JOSIAH, Saio Alusine Marrah, Ibrahim Chernor Jalloh |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 02 |
| Pages | 126-157 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Open Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2164-0505 • E-ISSN: 2164-0513 |
| Publisher | Bentham Science Publishers (PUBLISHER • AE) |
| DOI | 10.4236/ojps.2026.162009 |
| OpenAlex | W7153267857 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
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
China · Corporate governance · General partnership · Global governance · Politics · Realisation · Sustainable development · Transformative learning · China's Global Influence and Migration · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Development and Aid
Jobs for the Boys
Organizational Learning
China's overseas lending
Chinese aid and local corruption
Governing as Governance
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
A critical look at Chinese ‘debt-trap diplomacy’
Different approach, same focus
Tertiary education in China's engagement with Africa
Transnational policy transfer
Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method
Chinese State Capitalism? Rethinking the Role of the State and Business in Chinese Development Cooperation in Africa
The redistributive power of cash transfers vs VAT exemptions
At Africa’s expense? Disaggregating the employment effects of Chinese mining operations in sub-Saharan Africa
New African Choices? The Politics of Chinese Engagement
China's Developmental Model Comes to Africa
China and the World Bank—How contrasting development approaches affect the stability of African states
Contextualising Chinese engagement in Africa
South–South cooperation and the rise of the Global South
At the Interface Between Theory and Practice – Policy Transfer and Lesson‐drawing
The lessons of learning
Improvised Hybridity in the “Fixing” of Chinese Infrastructure Capital
Multipolarity and the New South–South relations
South–South security cooperation and the (re)making of global security governance
Public Value Governance
The New Governance
Understanding the transfer of policy failure
Introduction
Transparency and mistrust
Learning from Abroad
Bloc Politics at the UN
Global International Relations (IR) and Regional Worlds
From Non-Interference to Adaptive Pragmatism
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |