This chapter reviews the existing literature on the performance evaluation on China’s “Linkage” Policy, especially focusing on improving farmers’ livelihoods and preserving cultivated land. Specifically, this chapter examines the policy’s dual objectives, implementation costs, and outcomes across three distinct governance models, incorporating insights from NIE and Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. Key dimensions of evaluation include farmers’ welfare (compensation equity, resettlement outcomes, social welfare, property rights security, and participatory governance) and cultivated land preservation (quality and quantity metrics). The chapter highlights institutional complexities in property rights arrangements and governance structures, emphasizing the role of formal and informal institutions in shaping policy performance. By integrating Williamson’s (J Econ Lit 38(3): 595–613, 2000) multi-level institutional hierarchy with Ostrom’s action arena analysis, the study suggests to establish a comprehensive assessment of the “Linkage” Policy’s efficacy.