Institutionalising China-Africa Cooperation in Basic Education: A Review of China’s Policy Documents

Abstract

Most research on China’s education cooperation with Africa has focused on tertiary education, with basic education remaining underexplored. This article addresses this gap by reviewing 18 of China’s policy documents related to education cooperation with Africa, with a specific focus on basic education and its institutionalisation. The analysis examines three dimensions: China’s core cooperation principles and objectives; the initiatives and mechanisms supporting basic education; and the evolution and institutionalisation of these strategies over time. The findings reveal that China consistently emphasises equality, mutual benefit, and partnership, framing its engagement as “cooperation” rather than traditional “aid”. Key initiatives include human resource development programmes, Confucius Classrooms, educational infrastructure provision, school and youth exchanges, and targeted assistance projects. China’s approach has evolved through three stages: from sporadic exchanges before 2000, to structured and institutionalised cooperation under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from 2000 to the mid-2010s, and to comprehensive and systematic engagement from the mid-2010s to the present, strengthened by the Belt and Road Initiative (2013) and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (2018). The study concludes by highlighting the need for further empirical research to examine implementation processes, outcomes, and the roles of African stakeholders, thereby contributing to broader debates on South-South education cooperation.