In order to demonstrate the country’s responsible and “peaceful rise” and protect its interests abroad, China has increased its participation in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Last week, the International Crisis Group released a report detailing China’s growing role in UN peacekeeping.
“China now has over 2,000 peacekeepers serving in ten UN peacekeeping operations, making it the second largest provider of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. China does not currently provide combat troops, but its civilian police, military observers, engineering battalions and medical units fill a key gap.”
In the 1970s, China was wholly opposed to peacekeeping. Today, China makes decisions on a case-by-case basis, balancing its new responsibilities as a rising global power with a “traditional adherence to non-intervention.” The pragmatic policy reflects Beijing’s changing foreign policy priorities.
“Multilateralism has become central to China’s efforts to project its influence abroad, pursue its interests and cultivate its image as a ‘responsible great power.’ Participation in peacekeeping serves these ends as a relatively low-cost way of demonstrating commitment to the UN and to international peace and security. It has also served to counter fears of China’s growing power – the ‘China threat’ – by deploying military personnel for peaceful ends.”
China’s involvement, however, does not erase the country’s support for dangerous regimes.
“In several cases, China has sent peacekeepers only after giving support to actors that aggravated the situation. And China’s relationships with problem regimes in the developing world have fed suspicions that its peacekeeping is motivated by economic interests. In fact, China’s economic and peacekeeping decision-making tracks operate separately, and tensions between the foreign affairs ministry, military and economic actors mean there is no overall strategic approach to peacekeeping.”
Photo from UN Photo/Stuart Price. Graphic from the International Crisis Group.