Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 101

Is China Playing a Contradictory Role in Africa?
China is actively involved in peace-keeping in Africa for a number of reasons.
Since peace-keeping is a multilateral effort, it is a way for China to show that it
supports cooperative solutions to global security problems, especially ones that are
relevant to Africa (Richardson 2011). Involvement at the UN level helps China boost
its influence not just within this world body, but also among African nations. In
other words, peace-keeping helps boost China’s image as a responsible country that is
actively engaged in promoting a peaceful and harmonious world. Its focus on Africa
creates a positive image of itself among African nations at the UN and beyond (Fung
2015). With peace-keeping it enhances its multilateral and bilateral diplomacy in the
international system. It has become the only Security Council member that does not
hesitate to send its peacekeeping troops to troubled spots like the DRC, Sudan, or
Liberia, among others (Yao 2016). Its willingness to deploy troops in African states
counters the negative image created by its arms sales to despotic regimes and zones of
conflict. Additionally, its active involvement in aid, trade, investment, and peacekeeping
in Africa increases its geo-economic presence all over the continent. According to a
report by SAFERWORLD in January 2011:
“In some more general ways, peace-keepers do serve China’s economic
interests: they promote peace in countries where Chinese banks and
commercial actors have made significant investments and have an
interest in restoring stability. They also improve bilateral relations
with the governments that have given their consent to peacekeeping
missions” (76).
China is even using peacekeeping to interact with other militaries around the
world within African nations. In Liberia it interacted with Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian,
and other military troops. Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf commended
Chinese peace-keepers for not only enhancing the peace and security of Liberia,
but for also contributing to its postwar reconstruction in the form of infrastructure
development and helping to build medical capacity in the country.
China’s involvement in peacekeeping in developing countries helps provide a
sense of global legitimacy to peace-keeping operations since it is the only great power
that is not viewed as being under the influence of the US and other Western powers.
The Western powers are often viewed by many developing countries as simply out to
enhance and even impose their agenda on smaller or weaker nations. It is perhaps
only in Sudan that China is not viewed as legitimate or neutral because of its close
geo-economic ties and extensive vested interests with the Khartoum regime. Another
weakness in China’s peacekeeping role is the fact that it is rigidly state-centric in its
peacekeeping approach. Beijing’s belief that only the state or incumbent regime can
be legitimate alienates rebel factions or opposition groups within countries at war. It
is not surprising that Chinese workers have been the victims of kidnapping and even
massacres by rebel groups in conflict areas. China tends to deviate from guidelines
set by the rest of the world regarding aid, trade, and investment. It is the same with
its approach to peacekeeping. For instance, China is rigidly opposed to any form
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