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Diplomacy
This Week in AsiaOpinion
Andrew Cainey
Andrew CaineyandXie Chengkai

Opinion | China as global conflict mediator: from ambition to action

From Saudi-Iran rapprochement to Myanmar ceasefires, China’s conflict diplomacy also aims to protect its own interests

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Traditional Russian wooden dolls called “matryoshka” depicting China’s President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are seen for sale in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo: AP
Andrew CaineyandXie Chengkai
China has increasingly taken on the role of conflict mediator on the world stage – hosting negotiations, proposing peace plans and even deploying personnel to oversee ceasefires. Once reluctant to engage in United Nations peacekeeping activities, it now provides more troops than any other permanent member of the Security Council.

These are dramatic shifts for a country that was once a staunch advocate of non-interference. As its economic and security interests now reach far beyond its borders, China’s engagement on the world stage has understandably grown accordingly. It has a strong incentive to resolve conflicts that threaten its trade, overseas investments, citizens abroad or simply regional stability.

The six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, beginning in 2003, marked China’s first major foray into multilateral conflict mediation.

The talks provide a good example of China’s approach to conflict mediation, summarised in its foreign policy lexicon by the phrase “劝和促谈” (persuading for peace and promoting dialogue): while Beijing had no coercive leverage over Pyongyang, it served as a consistent convenor – urging North Korea to halt its nuclear ambitions while pressing the US to address the country’s security concerns.
North Korean official Choe Ryong-hae (right) speaks with Zhao Leji (left), chairman of the National People’s Congress of China, during a reception in Pyongyang last year. Photo: KCNA/KNS via AP
North Korean official Choe Ryong-hae (right) speaks with Zhao Leji (left), chairman of the National People’s Congress of China, during a reception in Pyongyang last year. Photo: KCNA/KNS via AP

China’s ambitions are now broader. It has been positioning itself as a leader of the Global South, embracing inclusive multilateralism more than the West.

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