China’s UN Peacekeeping
Operations ---Policy
Development
ZHAO Lei & WANG Bo
Central Party School
University of International Business and
Economics
“China’s Engagement in Non-Traditional
Security” Conference, Whitehall, London
September 21-22, 2011
Outline
• The evolution of China’s policy toward UN
and UNPKO
• Understanding China’s policy towards
UNPKO from the Grand Strategic
Perspective
• The Direct Interests China vested in
participating in UNPKO
• The Trends of China’s participation of
UNPKO and constraints
I.The Evolution of China’s attitudes
toward UN Peacekeeping
• Opposition (the Korean War)，1950-1971
• Acquiesces (non-vote）1971-1982
• Flexible（began to share UNPM budget）
1982:
• Active（paid $4.4 million in 1986)
• Strong Support.
• UNPKM budget share
• China 3.939% from 2010-2012（increased from
3.1474% the previous term, with total $ 220
million) compared with U.S. 27%、Japan19%、
Germany, France, & Britain7%，China and the
Netherland 2%.
China’s contribution to the UN
China’s share of UN budget
•
1971: 4％
•
1974: 5.5％
•
1995: 0.72％
•
2004: 2.053％
•
2007-2009: 2.667％
2010-2011: 3.189%
• China’s payment to UN peace-keeping budget increased
from zero in 1981 to 3.147% to in 2009 to 3.939 % from the
year of 2010
• China has participated in 24 UN peace-keeping operations,
dispatched a total of more than 10,000 peacekeeping
personnel, making China an important actor of international
system.
• In 2001 and 2002, only about 100 Chinese
peacekeepers served in UN missions,
significantly fewer than the other UNSC
permanent members(P-5). However, from
Mar. 2004 to Aug. 2006, China historically
became the largest contributor. Since Sept.
2006, China and France have ranked as
the biggest contributors of personnel to
UNPKO, leaving the other three P-5
countries far behind.
II . Understanding China’s policy
towards UNPKO from the Grand
Strategic Perspective (1)
1, Confrontation between Isolated China and
International System: (1949-1971):
Different relations within bipolar systems
East-Soviet block vs. West Capitalist block:
different institutions
different process cooperate within and confront
without
II . Understanding China’s policy
towards UNPKO from the Grand
Strategic Perspective (2)
China’s different relations with the two systems
Leaning to one side: supported by and allied with
the Soviets led socialist camp:
Anti-imperialist diplomacy: unrecognized,
embargoed, and contained by, and against the U.S.
led capitalist camp, opposed the UN as the instrument
of the U.S.
The foreign policy of isolated China which was
excluded from the UN was referred as revolutionary
diplomacy in the West.
China’s Share In World Trade
selected years 1953-1977
Year
World trade Volume
(US$ billion)
Share in World Trade(%)
1953
2.37
1.5
1957
3.11
1.4
1959
4.38
1.9
1962
2.66
0.9
1970
4.59
0.7
1975
14.75
0.8
1977
14.80
0.6
II . Understanding China’s Policy
towards UNPKO from the Grand
Strategic Perspective (3)
2,From a transformer to a participant and
reformer (1979-1989) :Opening up and
joining the world:
• The year of 1978 is a turning point in China’s history.
China began to practice an “opening up” policy,
which was carried out gradually from the coast areas
to the interior of China.
• China revised its domestic laws to allow and
encourage foreign investment.
• China began to accept foreign aid from international
organizations.
In economic terms:
China’s contribution to world economic
growth has surpassed more than 10%, and
has become a locomotive for global
economic growth.
China’s behavior during the Asia financial
crisis in 1997-1998 and the crisis in 2009
have all helped stabled the economy and
played global recognized constructive role
in leading the regional or world economy
out of recession.
• While “inviting in”, China took an active step of “going out” by
actively participating in the international institutions, starting the
process of integration into the international system.
• In the realm of economy.
– China joined World Bank and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) in 1980,
– resumed its observer status in the General Agreement and
Tariff and Trade (GATT) in 1982, and formally applied for the
restoration of its contracting party status in GATT in 1986
– 15 years of negotiations for its official accession to the WTO in
2001 was a process for China to liberalize its foreign-trade
system to meet international norms by
» Reducing its tariff barriers
» Abolishing import quotas
» Improving laws and laws enforcement system
• In the Security realm, China began
– to participate in the Conference on
Disarmament in Geneva and its affiliated
special committees and working groups in 1980.
– to adopt a positive attitude towards the role of
UN peacekeeping operations in 1981.
– To pay its due to UN peace-keeping operation
in 1982 and became a member of the UN
Special Committee on Peacekeeping
Operations in 1988.
• By the end of 1986, China had joined UN and all of
its affiliated multilateral organizations
• The Report on the Work of the Government to the
NPC stated for the first time in 1986:
•
“China supports the work undertaken by the UN
in the spirit of the Charter and participates in activities
for world peace and development sponsored by the
organization and its specialized agencies. China has
joined a wide range of international organizations,
actively engaged in multilateral diplomacy and strived
to promote international cooperation in all fields.”
Signaling a change in China’s attitude in policy to
multilateral international mechanisms represented by
UN.
1, The scope of China’s participation in Intl.
Regimes: some facts
Status
Time:
1977
1989
2009
IGO’s NGO’s Int’l Regimes
21
71
45
37
677
157
130+
thousands
300+
Global:
UN、 WTO, G8+5, G-20
Trans-regional: APEC、ASEM, FOCAC, BRIC
Regional:
SCO、ARF 、10+3 10+1
From Passive applicant to active advocate and
initiator:
SCO & Six-party talks, the Bao’ao Forum.
III. China’s Interests & Motivations
in UNPKO (1)
• 1.Participation in UNPKO has served to shape
China’s international image as a “peaceloving
state” instead of “an emerging threatening
giant”.
• Maintaining peace fits Chinese Traditional Value
for Peace: He Wei Gui.
Dai Shaoan, vice-director of the Peacekeeping Office: ‘Wherever
they go or whatever they do, [Chinese peacekeepers] always bear in
mind that they are messengers of peace, representing China […].
To win hearts and minds, you need to devote your own hearts and
minds, and that is exactly what our peacekeepers are doing”.
Does the Chinese Government Have ‘Global
Responsibility’? (Selecting One Answer)Analysis
on 389 valid questionnaires
UNCERTAIN, 69
（18%）
NO, 71
（18%）
YES, 249
（64%）
What is China’s Primary National Identity?
(Selecting One Answer) Analysis on 389 valid
questionnaires
a Responsible
Great Power, 119
（31%）
a Regional
Power , 57
（15%）
Uncertain, 8
（2%）
a Socialist
Country, 12
（3%）
the Largest
Developing
Country, 186
（47%）
a World
Superpower, 7
（2%）
China’s Interests and
Motivations in UNPKO (2)
•
•
2. Participation in UNPKO has served to bolster China’s relations with host
countries as well as with Washington and other Western governments.
On 30 June 2008, former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, met Xu
Caihou, proposed that ‘the two armed forces should enhance cooperation
on humanitarian operations and peacekeeping missions.’ On 28 January
2010, Chinese peacekeeping police and US troops carried out their first
joint patrol in Haiti. Both US and China sent teams to UN Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) the most developed Western country and the
largest developing country have common interests in the maintenance of
world peace. The increasing military contacts in peace operations provide
lines of communication to promote military transparency and political
understanding so as to reduce the possibility of accidental confrontations.
China’s Interests and
Motivations in UNPKO (3)
• 3. Participation in UNPKO has served to expose
the military and police force to the international
community which is a precious experience to
them as who are an ideologically more
conservative group in an increasingly openingup China. Upon their return, there will be
spillover effects upon their colleagues either in
the military or police which will eventually
facilitate the process of China’s transformation
from an authoritarian state to a more democratic
one.
China’s Interests and
Motivations in UNPKO (4)
• 4. Participation in UNPKO has served to protect
Chinese interests abroad.
• With the growing globalization of its interests, public and private,
China needs stable overseas markets for securing a sustainable
development. As some observers note, ‘China is in increasing need
for natural resources in order to sustain its role as the workshop of
the world and requires stable markets where it can afford its
products’; ‘Instability in […] energy producing parts of Africa and
the Middle East is clearly not in China’s interests.
• Chinese peacekeepers have witnessed the remarkable strides of
China’s ‘Going Abroad’ strategy (zouchuqu zhanlue ‘走出去’战略)
since the late 1980s
What are the National Interests that China Achieves in UNPKO?
(Selecting 3 Answers) Based on 359 valid questionnaires
350
35.00%
300
30.00%
250
25.00%
200
20.00%
150
15.00%
100
10.00%
50
5.00%
0
Number
Percentage
Setting up an
Enhancing the
Image of a Great Army's Combat
Responsible Power
Capacity
Boosting the
Building a
Bilateral Relations
harmonious World
with Host Country
Promoting
Improving China's
Ensuring the
Communication Capacity of Global
Energy Supply
with Foreign Armies Governance
325
45
244
84
64
58
257
30.18%
4.18%
22.66%
7.80%
5.94%
5.39%
23.85%
0.00%
What should China Cherish the most in UNPKO?
(Selecting Three Answers) Analysis on 363 valid
questionnaires
350
35.00%
300
30.00%
250
25.00%
200
20.00%
150
15.00%
100
10.00%
50
5.00%
0
Number
Percentage
Safety of
Peacekeeper
Opportunity to
Familiarize with
Internatinonal Affairs
Peace in
Peacekeeping
Region
Good Relations with
Host Country
Good Comments
from International
Community
Accumulation of
Battlefield
Experience
Energy Supply in
Peacekeeping
Region
322
109
273
152
129
72
32
29.57%
10.01%
25.07%
13.96%
11.85%
6.60%
2.94%
0.00%
5 What are the Advantages of Chinese Peacekeepers
(Chose 3 of the Answers) Based on 352 valid
questionnaires
300
30.00%
250
25.00%
200
20.00%
150
15.00%
100
10.00%
50
5.00%
0
Number
Percentage
Abundant Human
Resources
No Direct Interest
Conflicts in World
Strategic Areas
Strong Government
Support
High Reputation of
Discipline and
Proficiency
Diligence, and
Unique Attraction of
Adaptabiltiy to Hard
Confucianism
Conditions
Non-interference in
Internal Affairs of
Host Countries
101
211
56
228
25
171
264
9.56%
19.98%
5.30%
21.59%
2.38%
16.19%
25.00%
0.00%
• IV. The Trends of China’s
participation of UNPKO and
Constraints
China is playing an increasingly
confident but still cautious role
• 1. China began to consider sending combating
troops to UNPKO.
On 20 November 2009, Wei Yanwei, vice-director of
the Peacekeeping Office of China’s Ministry of National
Defence, avowed that if the UN should request the
sending of combat units, the Peacekeeping Office would
timely submit the recommendations to the military and
national decision-makers. Wei added that, concerning
the possibility of sending combat units, China would take
into account its national defence policy and the response
of the ‘international community’, as well as the wishes of
host countries
Challenges China’s UNPKO
Principles face
• Should UNPKO always adhere to the Consent
principle?
• Should UNPKO always adhere to the Neutrality
principle?
• Should UNPKO always adhere to the Non-use of
Force Principle?
• Surveys have found that Chinese intellectual
community has gradually shifted from the
Chinese government traditional principles.
The Attitudes towards the Three Principles of Peacekeeping
Operations (Based on 389 valid questionnaires)
Should UNPKO
always adhere to
the Consent
principle?
Should UNPKO
always adhere to
the Neutrality
principle?
Should UNPKO
always adhere to
the Non-use of
Force Principle?
Choices
Number
Percentage
Number
Number
No
139
35.73 293
75.32 186
47.81
Yes
168
43.19 44
11.31 155
39.85
Not Sure
82
21.08 52
13.37 48
12.34
Percentage
Percentage
When is the Best Time to Deploy Peacekeeping
Operations? (Selecting One Answer)
200
150
100
50
0
Number
Percentage
Before
Conflict
During
Conflict
After
Conflict
It
Depends
177
34
14
164
45.50%
8.74%
3.60%
42.16%
50.00%
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Key factors shaping China’s future
role in UNPKO
• Growing stakes in foreign countries, particularly in
developing countries will make China’s participation an
irreversible course.
• International response would play a key external factor in
Chinese decision to send combating troops in UNPKO or
increase of the personnel and financial contribution.
There is a big open space for China to play as it ranks
only the 15th personnel contributor.
• As China assumes a larger responsibility in UNPKO,
casualty and its consequent political risks at home will
play a growing role in Chinese decision-making in a
growing civil society which increasingly values individual
life.
The Classification of Sacrifice
Causes of Chinese Peacekeepers
Due to Disease, 2
(13%)
Due to Car
Accidcent, 2
(13%)
Due to Attack, 4
(25%)
Due to Natural
Disaster, 8
(49%)
THANK YOU!
leistone2003@yahoo.com.cn
bowang@UIBE.edu.cn