LEARNING BY DOING: CHINA–AFRICA CO-OPERATION AND STATE LEARNING

The paper contends that China's rapid development is driven by a 'learning state' capable of continuous policy iteration and adjustment, rather than a set of static policies. It critiques the tendency of African nations to import 'finished' Chinese policy models—like Special Economic Zones (SEZs)—without the underlying institutional capacity for experimentation and refinement. The author suggests that China-Africa cooperation should shift toward transferring the 'know-how' of policy evolution, potentially through new funding mechanisms and research collaborations that prioritize 'learning by doing'.

• China's economic success is attributed not to static policies, but to a dynamic process of state learning where policies are continuously adjusted based on evidence and results.
• The Chinese state learning process involves setting ambitious goals, creating policy space for adjustments, monitoring regional leaders for innovation over five-year timeframes, and utilizing a network of think tanks for evaluation.
• Chinese Special Economic Zones (SEZs) succeeded because they were not predefined by rigid legislation but had the freedom to adapt policies and were integrated into a broader national learning system.
• African adoption of industrial zones often fails because they are implemented as static regulatory frameworks without the iterative learning and adjustment processes seen in China.
• China's growth in power generation and renewable energy was the result of multiple periods of adjustment, including a 'dual track' pricing system in 1985 and provincial-level reforms in Shandong regarding public-private financing.
• Traditional development institutions often hinder policy learning because their high transaction costs and inflexible systems are unsuitable for the small-scale, parallel experiments required for state learning.
• To improve development outcomes, the author proposes establishing a 'learning fund' to underwrite institutional adjustments and creating transparent datasets of policy change through joint Chinese and African university research.

APA

Jordan, L. S. (2015). LEARNING BY DOING: CHINA–AFRICA CO-OPERATION AND STATE LEARNING. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Insights-29.pdf

Chicago

Jordan, Luke Simon. LEARNING BY DOING: CHINA–AFRICA CO-OPERATION AND STATE LEARNING. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Insights-29.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jordan |first1=Luke Simon |title=LEARNING BY DOING: CHINA–AFRICA CO-OPERATION AND STATE LEARNING |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=29 November 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Insights-29.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jordan2015learning, author = {Jordan, Luke Simon}, title = {{LEARNING BY DOING: CHINA–AFRICA CO-OPERATION AND STATE LEARNING}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Insights-29.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }