Peacekeeping missions are the perfect showcase for a stronger, more responsible China
Zhou Bo says China’s growing contributions to UN peacekeeping is the best possible way for it to assure others of its peaceful rise
Despite the costs, China is right to join UN peacekeeping missions
This is where China can assist. At the leaders’ summit, no offers could match what President Xi Jinping ( 習近平 ) announced: that China would take the lead to set up a permanent peacekeeping police squad; build a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops and train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers in the next five years. China will also provide a total of US$100 million of free military aid for the African Union to support the establishment of the African Standby Force and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis.
President Xi Jinping’s pledges at UN show that China can meet its global responsibilities
This is a sea change in Beijing’s attitude towards peacekeeping. An 8,000-strong standby force plus about 3,000 peacekeepers currently deployed overseas would allow China to overtake Pakistan, Indian and Bangladesh to become the largest contributor to the peacekeeping force. Over two decades, Beijing has taken an incremental but cautious approach towards peacekeeping. The troops selected, such as medical, engineering and transport units, only provide logistical support and are therefore considered less “sensitive”. It was not until 2013 that Beijing decided to send armed infantry soldiers to Mali, 23 years after the first military observers were sent to the Middle East.
China can contribute more, even at the cost of necessary sacrifice
Beijing has good reason to beef up its peacekeeping efforts. First, China’s peacekeeping contributes to its image of a peaceful rise. There is no better way for China to convince the world of its peaceful intent than by helping with global governance as a responsible power. Given China’s growing influence, it is important that it finds ways to help the world. As one of the permanent members of the Security Council and the second-largest economy in the world, China can contribute more, even at the cost of necessary sacrifice (11 servicemen have died so far).