By Andrew Ludwig
China’s involvement in peacekeeping has evolved to reflect the growing influence of its international trade.
In its first two decades as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) completely abstained from all United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs). A drastic shift in this non-interventionist policy started in the late 1990s and continues to the present, as China now provides more UN peacekeeping personnel than any other permanent member of the Security Council. As its participation has expanded, existing explanations for the shift have refocused from China’s rising global awareness and responsibility, to its world perception and political influence. However, the catalyst for China’s sudden change in strategy is quite simple – it can be attributed to growing global economic benefits, as China continues its rapid climb as a world power.
Though the PRC has become an active contributor to peacekeeping missions, its efforts have not been dispersed evenly among all UNPKOs. Instead, China has focused resources and allocated personnel to specific UNPKOs while providing minimal to no support for other missions. Beijing has contributed at a higher level to UN Peacekeeping Operations in states where it has economic interests.
In analyzing China’s selective criteria in PKOs, it is clear that China’s massive economic growth has coincided with its participation in UNPKOs. To gain an accurate account of China’s UNPKO participation, Chinese personnel as a percentage of total UN peacekeepers for any specific PKO can be determined. That number can then be compared to the current trade relationship between China and the PKO’s host state, as well as the ratio of Chinese exports to the host country’s total imports. The resulting data verifies that the amount of Chinese exports to a particular host state plays a significant role in China’s placement of UNPKO personnel.
Read the full story at The Diplomat