Participatory governance has become a mode of governance around the world since the 1990s. This notion of participatory governance also attracts the Chinese authorities, who seek to transform and legitimize themselves through the development of Chinese society. Numerous experiments in participatory governance have been implemented in China, from participatory budgeting to participatory planning. Although the central state has emphasized the notion of participatory governance, it is still been experimented in various ways, particularly at the local level. So, it is interesting to understand the development of participatory governance in the Chinese context. In this article, we will first discuss the context of the development of participation in China, from the State to practices at local levels, while showing different categories of participation. We will also highlight important factors that promote the emergence of participatory planning and its implications at the community level. Besides, from an analytical perspective, we will examine participatory planning: its purpose, strategy and process. Then, based on the political sociology approach, we will focus on the transformation of the actors in this participation, from the "technical expert" to the " technical elite". In the fourth part, we will show the role of these technical elites. Finally, we will conclude by the discussion about Chinese participation and its implications for the local regime in Zhuhai.