By Wu Miaofa
Lately, the Chinese Government announced that it would increase
its troops in Lebanon to 1,000 on a United Nations peace
mission.
China has always supported the Middle East peace process,
believing deployment of enlarged United Nations peacekeeping forces
in Lebanon facilitates the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and
helps stabilize the Middle East.
China's involvement in UN peacekeeping operations in the past
was limited. But this time, a 1,000-men corps is to be dispatched
to Lebanon. A number of factors are behind the decision.
To begin with, the Chinese peacekeepers previously sent to
relevant areas fulfilled their missions well and were widely
acclaimed by the locals and the international community.
In addition, China believes that the peacekeeping mission in
Lebanon carries much importance and the Chinese involvement in the
operation will help China play a significant role in the Middle
East peace process.
Finally, the French Government asked China to dispatch a sizable
peacekeeping force to Lebanon.
When the country's legitimate seat in the United Nations was
restored in 1971, China began studying UN peace missions while
engaged in other affairs, such as organizing the Security Council's
emergency meetings.
Restrained by the country's diplomatic guidelines at the time,
China refrained from getting involved in UN peacekeeping missions,
believing that they were unable to defuse regional crises once and
for all. The country, therefore, distanced itself from UN
peace-maintaining tasks.
However, China participated in the UN Peacebuilding Commission
in 1988, marking an important turning point in Chinese
diplomacy.
Chinese foreign policy mutated when the country's priorities
shifted from class struggle to economic progress and that the
nation's door swung open to the rest of the world.
China then got involved selectively in UN peacekeeping
operations, believing that UN peacekeeping efforts played an
important part in preventing regional conflicts and relieving
regional disputes.
Since the 1990s, China has become increasingly involved in UN
peace missions and the sizes of Chinese peacekeeper contingents has
grown larger and larger.
In 1990, China for the first time sent military observers to the
Middle East. The country's first "blue-helmet" task force was
organized in 1992 and dispatched to Cambodia. In 2001, China joined
the United Nations peacekeeping standby mechanism. Starting from
2002, the country began to send sizable peacekeeping contingents to
relevant regions and countries.
Two training bases were set up in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province and Langfang of Hebei Province to select and train Chinese
peacekeepers. On their curriculums were foreign language learning,
emergency training, logistics and liaisons with peacekeepers from
other countries.
China has got involved in 15 UN peace-keeping operations since
1990, dispatching 6,000 troops or policemen to global hotspots.
Cambodia and Namibia were the first two destinations for Chinese
peacekeepers. Cambodia saw 800 Chinese military engineers and 47
military observers. In nearly two years, the Chinese engineers
repaired four devastated highways and 47 bridges. They also issued
logistical aid.
Currently, 125 Chinese peacekeepers are stationed in Haiti. In
addition, there is sizable Chinese peacekeeper presence in both
Congo and Liberia.
The 1,000-man contingent to be dispatched to Lebanon is the
largest ever Chinese peacekeeper corps by far.
Why the unprecedented size? This has to do with the Chinese
Government's understanding of the UN peacekeeping. It is believed
that the missions are effective. This is multiplied by the fact
that developing countries have high expectations for Chinese
peacekeepers. In view of this, China, as one of the permanent
members of the UN Security Council, should and does take an active
part in the UN peacekeeping operations.
From 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, to
1971, the United Nations was viewed by China as a capitalist-class
organ. As a result, China could not play a significant role in the
United Nations even when its legitimate seat was restored.
When its seat in the United Nations was restored, China's basic
policy inside the world organization was to stand up to the two
superpowers, the Soviet Union in particular, and support the just
demands of the developing world.
Things began to change in the late 1970s and early 1980s when
China embarked on the road of reform and opening up, which lent new
dimensions to the Chinese diplomatic outlook. The country got
involved in UN operations and activities in an all-around way.
China has increasingly integrated itself into the international
community since the 1990s, participating in the vast majority of
international organizations and making its voice heard on all major
international issues.
Now, the country is deeply involved in an international system
with the United Nations as its nucleus. Meanwhile, it is also the
system's maintainer and builder.
Why does the country find itself in this niche?
An accurate analysis of the international situation is behind
all this. In this era of peace, development and co-operation,
instead of revolution and war, we need to work hard to help bring
about a harmonious world and, in the course, China's international
image will be boosted.
In addition, since economic progress has been at the core of
China's national interests since the late 1970s, we need to build
up good relations with all countries in the international system to
help create a climate favorable to China's economic
development.
China is also working to push the international political and
economic system towards fairness and justice, recognizing that the
existing order is imperfect.
The author is a researcher with the China Institute of
International Studies.
(China Daily November 3, 2006)
