Mutuality rather than aid in South–South cooperation: a study of scholarship and training programmes in China

This article presents the results of a study that explores China's international aid principles and how those principles are understood by stakeholders involved in training and scholarship programmes in China. With qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, the authors analysed 17 Chinese government reports and interviewed 25 participants in China's higher education institutions. Adopting the lens of gift theory, this study contributes to scholars' understanding of international aid as a relationship of ‘giving–receiving–reciprocating’ rather than focusing on the motivations or effectiveness of international aid. This article concludes that stakeholders in China's international aid see their work as an act of creating mutual benefit. The mutuality is not exactly equal or symmetrical. However, this lack of symmetry does not impact the solidarity and relationship established between China and partner countries since they share a desire for mutual respect and mutual support.