Cynthia Wrage China in der UNO zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts

About this book

Since Xi Jinping’s announcement to realize the Chinese dream and to transform the People’s Republic globally into an economically, politically and technologically leading nation by 2049, the attention of the international community is focused on the country’s so-called “peaceful development”. In particular the western world is following its new era as a great socialist power with growing concern. China is also gaining increasing influence in the United Nations. At the beginning of the 21st century, the country has gradually transformed its image of a former distant observer into that of an active and powerful actor. Especially under the lead of Xi Jinping a clear departure from the decades-long advocated principles of passivity and restraint can be seen. Accordingly, Beijing’s influence on key decisions within the United Nations is growing constantly. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and in the course of a growing Asian power striving for multilateralism and a stronger UN, this study aims to examine Chinese UN policy under President Xi.

The focus of this study is whether the increased UN-activities of the People’s Republic of China under Xi can be regarded as pure power politics or rather correspond to an act guided by norms and values. Based on central assumptions of realism, four selected topics (its participation in UN peace missions, humanitarian operations and development aid, as well as China’s claims to sovereignty and its attitude to human rights) are used to examine the extent to which realism can explain Chinese activities. At the same time, reference is made to possible explanatory potentials of constructivism. The analysis includes the assumptions of Western observers as well as the official Chinese position and offers a differentiated view of the Chinese UN activities, especially during the past eight years.