Top

Published in:

2021 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

7. China’s Evolving Approach to the African Peace and Security Agenda: Rationale, Trends and Implications

Author : Faith Mabera

Published in: Africa-China Cooperation

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

China’s involvement in peace and security initiatives in Africa marks a significant attitudinal and policy shift in Beijing’s foreign policy and security policy calculus. While the core of engagement with Africa has been economic, the deepening and broadening of China’s material interests has re-oriented its focus on the strategic and operational benefits of undertaking a security role alongside its commercial pursuits. The complex and volatile African security environment has also exposed the limited utility of a static non-interventionist stance and prompted the recalibration of China’s foreign policy objectives, while remaining committed to the projection of its image as a responsible power in the global arena. This chapter seeks to highlight and analyse the paradigmatic shifts that have informed China’s role as an emerging peace and security actor in Africa. It analyses the different areas of China’s engagement in African peace and security landscape and puts forwards key policy implications for China–Africa partnership in peace and security looking ahead.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

previous chapter The Role of China’s Development Finance in Africa: Towards Enhancing African Agency?

next chapter Cultural Approaches to Africa’s Engagement with China

Alden, C. 2014. ‘Seeking Security in Africa: China’s Evolving Approach to the African Peace and Security Architecture,’ NOREF Report, March 2014, available at https://noref.no/Publications/Regions/Africa/Seeking-security-in-Africa-China-s-evolving-approach-to-the-African-Peace-and-Security-Architecture.

Alessi, C., and Xu, B. 2015. ‘China in Africa,’ CFR Backgrounds, available at http://china.usc.edu/council-foreign-relations-cfr-backgrounders-china-africa-april-27-2015.

Ayenagbo, K., Njobvu, T., Sossou, J.V., and Tozoun, B.K. 2012. ‘China’s Peacekeeping Operations in Africa: From Unwilling Participation to Responsible Contribution,’ African Journal of Political and International Relations, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 22–32.

Barton, B. 2018. Political Trust and the Politics of Security Engagement China and the European Union in Africa. London: Routledge.

Bellamy, Alex, and Williams, Paul. 2013. ‘Introduction: The Politics and Challenges of Providing Peacekeepers,’ in Bellamy, A., and Williams, P. (eds.), Providing Peacekeepers: The Politics, Challenges, and Future of United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 1–22.

Benabdallah, L. 2016. ‘China’s Peace and Security Strategies in Africa: Building Capacity is Building Peace?’ African Studies Quarterly, Vol. 16, Nos. 3–4, pp. 17–34.

Bull, H. 2002. The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics, 3rd edn. New York: Columbia University Press.

Buzan, B. 2014. ‘The Logic and Contradictions of “Peaceful Rise/Development” as China’s Grand Strategy,’ The Chinese Journal of International Politics, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 381–420.CrossRef

Carlson, A. 2006. ‘China’s Approach to Sovereignty and Intervention,’ in Johnston, A.I., and Ross, R. (eds.), New Directions in the Study of China’s Foreign Policy. Stanford: Stanford University Press, pp. 217–241.

Conteh-Morgan, E., and Weeks, P. 2016. ‘Is China Playing a Contradictory Role in Africa? Security Implications of Its Arms Sales and Peacekeeping,’ Global Security and Intelligence Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 81–102.CrossRef

de Bruijn, M., van Dijk, R., and Gewald, J.-B. 2007. ‘Social and Historical Trajectories of Agency in Africa,’ in Chabal, P., Engel, U., and de Haan, L. (eds.), African Alternatives. Leiden: Brill.

Debelo, A.R. 2017. ‘The African Union’s Peace and Security Partnership,’ APN Briefing Note, No. 12, July 2017.

Duchâtel, M., Gowan, R., and Rapnouil, M.L. 2016. ‘Into Africa: China’s Global Security Shift,’ ECFR Policy Brief 179, June 2016.

Ferchen, M. 2016. ‘China, Economic Development, and Global Security: Bridging the Gaps,’ Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy, 9 December 2016, available at http://carnegietsinghua.org/2016/12/09/china-economic-development-and-global-security-bridging-gaps-pub-66397.

Fiorenza, N. 2007. ‘China Bolsters Peacekeeping Commitment,’ Jane’s Defence Weekly, 14 February 2007.

FOCAC. 2012. ‘The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Action Plan (2013–2015),’ Beijing, 19–20 July 2012, available at http://www.focac.org/eng/ltda/dwjbzjjhys/t954620.htm.

FOCAC. 2015. ‘Declaration of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation,’ 4–5 December, available at https://www.focac.org/eng/zywx_1/zywj/t1327960.htm.

Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). 2006. China’s African Policy, January 2006, available at http://www.focac.org/eng/zt/zgdfzzcwj/t230479.htm.

Fung, C. 2019. ‘Providing for Global Security Implications of China’s Combat Troop Deployment to UN Peacekeeping,’ Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, Vol. 25, No. 4. pp. 509–534.CrossRef

Garly, J.H. 2015. ‘Observations and Lessons from the UN Mission in Liberia,’ in Odgaard, L. (ed.), UN Peacekeeping: The Role and Contribution of China and Denmark Konference Proceedings, Royal Danish Defence College Publishing House, pp. 9–17.

Gill, B., and Huang, C.-H. 2009. ‘China’s Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implications,’ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Policy Paper 25.

Gill, B., and Huang, C.-H. 2013. ‘The People’s Republic of China,’ in Bellamy, A., and Williams, P. (eds.), Providing Peacekeepers: The Politics, Challenges, and Future of United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 139–157.

Haitao, W. Amb. 2017. ‘Statement by Ambassador WU Haitao at the Security Council Briefing on UN Peacekeeping Operations,’ Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the UN, 23 May 2017, available at http://www.china-un.org/eng/hyyfy/t1466721.htm.

Hirono, M., and Lanteigne, M. 2011. ‘Introduction: China and UN Peacekeeping,’ International Peacekeeping, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 243–256.CrossRef

Huang, C.-H. 2011. ‘Principles and Praxis of China’s Peacekeeping,’ International Peacekeeping, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 257–270.CrossRef

Huang, C.-H. 2013. ‘From Strategic Adjustment to Normative Learning? Understanding China’s Peacekeeping Efforts in Africa,’ Journal of International Peacekeeping, Vol. 17, No. 3–4, pp. 248–271.

Huang, C.-H. 2017. ‘Contributor Profile: The People’s Republic of China,’ updated 27 April 2017, available at http://www.providingforpeacekeeping.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/China-Chin-Hao-27Apr2017_FINAL.pdf.

Humphrey, B. 2013. ‘Chinese Peacekeepers in Africa: Will China Step Up in South Sudan’s Crisis,’ The Globalist, 19 December 2013, available at https://www.theglobalist.com/chinese-peacekeepers-africa/.

International Crisis Group (ICG). 2017. ‘China’s Foreign Policy Experiment in South Sudan,’ Asia Report No 288, 10 July 2017. Brussels: ICG.

Jepperson, R., Wendt, A., and Katzenstein, Peter. 1996. ‘Norms, Identity, Culture in National Security,’ in Katzenstein, P. (ed.), The Culture of National Security. New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 33–75.

Jian, R. 2015. ‘China’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO): A Historical Overview,’ in Odgaard, L. (ed.), UN Peacekeeping: The Role and Contribution of China and Denmark Konference Proceedings, Royal Danish Defence College Publishing House, pp. 33–39.

Large, D. 2016. ‘Europe, China and Africa: New Thinking for a Secure Century,’ Friends of Europe’s Discussion Paper, November 2016, available at http://www.friendsofeurope.org/security-europe/chinas-changing-involvement-african-security.

Liaowang. 2005. ‘PRC’s “New Diplomacy” Stress on More Active International Role,’ Liaowang (Beijing), 11 July 2005 (trans. World News Connection).

Lim, Y.-H. 2011. ‘A Tale of Two Realisms in Chinese Foreign Policy,’ China: An International Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 299–312.

Liu, T., and Zhang, H. 2014. ‘Debates in China About the Responsibility to Protect as a Developing International Norm: A General Assessment,’ Conflict, Security & Development, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 403–427.CrossRef

Martina, M., and Brunnstrom, D. 2015. ‘China’s Xi Says to Commit 8,000 Toops for U.N. Peacekeeping Force,’ Reuters, 29 September 2015, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-assembly-china-idUSKCN0RS1Z120150929.

Matsuda, Y. 2016. ‘China’s UN Peacekeeping Operations Policy: Analysis of the Factors Behind the Policy Shift Toward Active Engagement,’ International Circumstances in the Asia Pacific Series (China), Japan Digital Library, March 2016, available at http://www2.jiia.or.jp/en/digital_library/china.php.

Mears, E.S. (ed.). 2011. ‘China’s growing role in African peace and security.’ Saferworld.

Melgaard, P., and Odgaard, L. 2015. ‘Chinese Policy on the Responsibility to Protect,’ in Odgaard, L. (ed.), UN Peacekeeping: The Role and Contribution of China and Denmark Konference Proceedings, Royal Danish Defence College Publishing House, pp. 25–32.

Mohan, G. 2015. ‘Chinese and Indian Approaches to United Nations Peacekeeping: A Theoretical Appraisal of Contribution Patterns and Decision-Making Structures,’ Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 83–111.

Mohan, G., and Lampert, B. 2012. ‘Negotiating China: Reinserting African Agency into China–Africa Relation,’ African Affairs, Vol. 112, No. 446, pp. 92–110.CrossRef

Mulvenon, J. 2009. ‘Chairman Hu and the PLA’s “New Historic Missions”,’ China Leadership Monitor, No. 27 (Winter).

Richardson, C.J. 2011. ‘A Responsible Power? China and the UN Peacekeeping Regime,’ International Peacekeeping, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 286–297.CrossRef

Rogers, P.D. 2007. ‘China and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Africa,’ NWC Review (Spring), pp. 73–94.

Sicurelli, D. 2013. ‘The Security Culture of the African Union,’ in Lorenz-Carl, U., and Rempe, M. (eds.), Mapping Agency Comparing Regionalisms in Africa. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

State Council Information Office, People’s Republic of China. 2004. White Paper on China’s National Defense in 2004, Section IX, available at http://www.china.org.cn/e-white/20041227/.

State Council Information Office, People’s Republic of China. 2015. White Paper on China’s Military Strategy, 26 May 2015, available at http://eng.mod.gov.cn/Press/2015-05/26/content_4586805.htm.

State Council Information Office, People’s Republic of China. 2019. China’s National Defense in the New Era, 22 July 2019, available at http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/24/c_138253389.htm.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2017. ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2016,’ Fact Sheet February, available at https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/Trends-in-international-arms-transfers-2016.pdf.

Sun, M. 2017. ‘A Bigger Bang for a Bigger Buck: What China’s Changing Attitude Toward UN Peacekeeping Says About Its Evolving Approach to International Institutions,’ Foreign Policy Analysis, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 338–360.CrossRef

Tiezzi, S. 2015. ‘The New China-Africa Relations: 4 Trends to Watch,’ The Diplomat, 6 December 2015, available at http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/the-new-china-africa-relations-4-trends-to-watch/.

United Nations Security Council. 2007. ‘Debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict,’ SC/9174, 20 November 2007, available at http://www.un.org/press/en/2007/sc9174.doc.htm.

Van der Putten, F.P. 2015. ‘China’s Evolving Role in Peacekeeping and African Security the Deployment of Chinese Troops for UN Force Protection in Mali,’ Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations Report, September 2015.

Venugopalan, H. 2017. ‘China’s Moves in Africa,’ Raisina Debates, Observer Research Foundation, 26 July, available at http://www.orfonline.org/expert-speaks/china-moves-africa/.

Verhoeven, H. 2014. ‘Is Beijing’s Non-interference Policy History? How Africa Is Changing China,’ The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 55–70.CrossRef

Wang, X. 2012. ‘On the Founding of Peacekeeping Discipline,’ Journal of Hunan Police Academy, No. 1, pp. 138–143.

Wang, B. W. 2013. ‘The Dragon Brings Peace? Why China Became a Major Contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping’, Stimson Center Spotlight, 12 July 2013, available at https://www.stimson.org/content/dragon-brings-peace-why-china-became-major-contributor-united-nations-peacekeeping-0.

Xinhuanet. 2017. ‘China’s Helicopter Unit Joins Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur,’ 11 June 2017, available at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/11/c_136357202.htm.

Yizhong, X. 2015. ‘China’s Participation in UNPKO: Policy and Prospect,’ in Odgaard, L. (ed.), UN Peacekeeping: The Role and Contribution of China and Denmark Konference Proceedings, Royal Danish Defence College Publishing House, pp. 18–24.

Yuyuan, Z. 2017. ‘Peaceful Development Is Crucial for Africa,’ China Daily Africa, 26 November 2017, available at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/kindle/2017-11/26/content_35016093.htm.

Zhang, Y.-X. 2011. ‘The Dilemma of UN Peacekeeping Operation in the Perspective of Peace Construction,’ Journal of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force Academy, No. 7.

Zhang, C. 2016. ‘Thinking Strategically on China-Africa Peace and Security,’ Friends of Europe, 2 November 2016, available at http://www.friendsofeurope.org/security-europe/thinking-strategically-china-africa-peace-security/.

Zhao, L. 2011. ‘Two Pillars of China’s Global Peace Engagement Strategy: UN Peacekeeping and International Peacebuilding,’ International Peacekeeping, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 344–362.

Zhixiong, S. 2018. ‘On China’s Military Diplomacy in Africa,’ in Alden, C., Alao, A., Chun, Z., and Barber, L. (eds.), China and Africa Building Peace and Security Cooperation on the Continent London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 101–122.

Title: China’s Evolving Approach to the African Peace and Security Agenda: Rationale, Trends and Implications
Author: Faith Mabera
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: Africa-China Cooperation
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-53038-9

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-53039-6

Copyright Year: 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53039-6_7