How to implement pairing assistance during fighting COVID-19 in China: collaborative governance between local governments under the authoritative regulation

Background: The pairing assistance policy represents a distinctive instrument utilized by the Chinese government to address major public crises. This study examines the development of a pairing assistance policy by the Chinese Government through its central authority to foster collaborative governance among local governments in areas affected by COVID-19.

Methods: The aim of the study was to gain a clear understanding of how the policy of pairing assistance in public health emergencies is successfully implemented through the top-down application of authority. A case study design was used as a methodology to present an explanatory framework for implementing pairing assistance policies during major public crises. We focus on the operational process of pairing assistance, using the assistance provided by Jiangsu Province to Huangshi City in Hubei Province as an illustration.

Results: This paper finds that responding to a crisis requires the guidance of a central authority and the cooperation of local governments. The process is driven by three key factors: the vertical intervention of the crisis, the inevitability of horizontal cooperation and the policy allocation and incentives of the bureaucracy. The three stages of co-operative governance based on authoritative regulation work together in a step-by-step manner to enhance the effectiveness of crisis response.

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that collaborative governance under the authoritative regulation is the main reason why provincial counterpart support mechanism plays a great role in COVID-19. This study is the first to approach the study of pairing assistance from the perspective of government authority. It broadens the research horizon of local government cooperation and provides a model for future collaboration.