China Analysis: The end of non-interference?

China Analysis: The end of non-interference?

China’s international role is changing. But the country is struggling to reconcile its traditional foreign policy of non-interference with its growing economic presence around the world. China’s relations with Iran or its response to the crisis in Syria are striking examples of how China is rethinking its foreign policy. This debate also sheds light on how China defines its interests in the Middle East and why Beijing is hesitant to support UN Council resolutions on issues such as Syria.

The latest issue of China Analysis - The end of non-interference? - published by ECFR and Asia Centre focuses on China’s foreign-policy on Iran, Sudan, Syria, North Korea and Burma. It shows a rich debate within China’s foreign policy community about China’s global ambitions and responsibilities:

China-Syria relations:

• China’s UN vetoes on Syria are a symbol of China’s new role on the international stage. Chinese analysts agree that ending the violence in Syria must be the ultimate goal but they disagree with the West on how to achieve it. More fundamentally, Chinese thinkers perceive the notion of “responsibility to protect” as a dangerous and vague concept that exists to legitimise “regime change”. The Chinese vetoes are also interpreted as a lesson for the West to show that China’s foreign policy is in fact based on strong principles such as the respect for non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Yan Xuetong for example argues that blocking Security Council resolutions is in China’s interest: It diverts the attention and capabilities of the US away from Asia, it reduces the risk of war between the US and Iran - and it strengthens Beijing’s partnership with Moscow.

China-Iran relations:

• Beijing’s quest for energy security has brought China closer to Iran over the last decade. But Chinese thinkers recognise that China’s relationship with Iran also drags China into the controversy surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme. Despite calls by the US and the EU to play a more active role in the resolution of the Iranian nuclear crisis - particularly in the enforcement of sanctions - Chinese analysts do not think this is in China’s interest. Instead, they suggest that China should pursue its own economic and security interests in the region, without paying attention to criticism from abroad. However, Chinese scholars are optimistic about the future of China-Iran relations. Zhao Kejin for example thinks that new Iranian president Rouhani may see China as a “strategic opportunity” to break through the diplomatic impasse with the West.

“Non-interference may have hampered Chinese diplomacy by preventing nimble responses and protecting stodgy thinking. But moving to a more committed policy that is not afraid to take sides and favour particular domestic outcomes opens up a gulf of doubts and different answers. Little by little, China’s strategists are discovering the dilemmas of an imperial power” – François Godement

Contact:

François Godement, Head of ECFR's Asia Programme

+33 6 1172 7544 email: francois.godement@ecfr.eu

Download

The ‘China Analysis’ series, published by ECFR and Asia Centre, analyses the debates over China’s policies and direction within China’s expert community itself.

ECFR’s recent publications on China and Asia:

• Xi Jinping’s China: The politics of China's most powerful man 
• China 3.0: What does the new China think and what does it mean for Europe?
• China Analysis: The reform of China’s defence economy: What next for China's military-industrial complex?
• China Analysis: Solar panels: A crisis “made in China”
• China Analysis: Shockwaves from the China/Japan island dispute

Notes for Editors:  

You can also subscribe to receive a French-language version by emailing Asia Centre at: chinaanalysis@centreasia.eu

This paper, like all ECFR publications, represents the views of its author, not the collective position of ECFR or its Council Members.

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is the first pan-European think-tank. Launched in October 2007, its objective is to conduct research and promote informed debate across Europe on the development of coherent and effective European values based foreign policy. ECFR is an independent charity and funded from a variety of sources. For more details go to http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/support