Participatory approaches in development were introduced in China at the end of 1980s along with its open to the outside policy, but it has only been in recent years that participation has been recognised as an important means to improve the quality of development projects.
This article provides tips for trainers working with PRA in China. It emphasises that participatory approaches and methodologies may need adapting to accommodate the political, social, and cultural context in China. The article suggests that in China the top-down approach is still followed extensively by local government, and for this reason a number of strategies need to be adopted to overcome possible resistance to new ideas and methods.