Principles and Praxis of China's Peacekeeping

Abstract

China's expanding role in peacekeeping opens up a new avenue for China to strengthen global peace operations and contribute to stability and security in Africa and other developing regions, raising the prospects for China to become even more integrated into the international community. Its evolving role in peacekeeping is underpinned by a combination of factors. Through increasing socialization and interaction with the international community, China has become more willing to accept global norms and to contribute to peace and stability. At the same time, participation in peacekeeping allows China to professionalize its armed forces, to test its power projection capabilities and to pursue its aspirations to become a major global power. Whether such cooperative behaviour will be reversed or sustained is still uncertain. As such, its definitive role in peacekeeping remains largely indeterminate and thus merits continued and more nuanced observation.