We Come in Peace

　　The China- Africa relationship is more often thannot associated with business. The image of this businesscan vary from Chinese contractors in brown overallstightening girders on new superhighways， to Chinese executivesin black suits making deals with African governmentsand traders operating retail shops in rural villages.

　　At any given moment， there are at least 250 Chinese-ledprojects underway in Africa， be it oil， infrastructure constructionor real estate.

　　But Africa， despite its potential market of 1 billionpeople and massive natural resource deposits， is also acontinent where danger lurks. It is dotted with civil warsand insecurity， especially where resources are abundant.Somalia， Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) andMozambique are some of the countries where conflict isever present.

　　Continent of conflict

　　Between 1990 and 2005， Africa accounted for half ofthe number of deaths caused by civil war， terrorism orviolence， according to a 2011 paper by the University ofNairobi’s Institute of Diplomacy and International studies.This cost Africa $300 billion in terms of resourcesdestroyed and number of people killed.

　　While adhering to its core foreign policy philosophy ofnon-interference in the affairs of others， China has at thesame time not turned a blind eye to the conflict in Africa.For example， Chinese writer Liu Binjie writes in his bookChina’s Philosophy on Foreign Affairs in the 21st Century，that China’s policy of engagement in this 21st centurywould be that “of peace with the goal of maintaining andpromoting common development.”

　　While China does not have a permanent military basein Africa， figures from the UN Department of Peace KeepingMissions indicate that the role of China in peace keepingon the continent has increased in the past 10 years.China has sent troops and observers to UN missionsin the DRC， Sudan， Cote d’Ivoire， Liberia as wellas the Saharawi， the figures show. Globally，China has become one of the top 20contributors to peacekeeping operationsin the UN.

　　Getting involved

　　In addition， financial support， training and activeparticipation in UN programs geared towardconflict resolution are starting to becomeChina’s priorities. China has， for instance， providedfinancial support to the AU’s Somali peacekeeping mission(Amisom) since 2008. Amisom， which is still fightingal-Shabaab militants， has succeeded in bringing relativesecurity to Mogadishu. With the security in the capitalimproved， last year Somalis voted in a president for thefirst time on home soil.

　　China’s recent change of strategy is now becoming asubject of analysis. The country cast its first vote on peacekeeping in 1981， when it voted to authorize the extensionof the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

　　China first participated in a UN peacekeeping operationin 1989， when 20 Chinese military personnel took partin the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) to helpmonitor elections in Namibia. Since then， it has been onemilestone after the other. (see box)Analysts assert that China’s participation has beeninfluenced by the growing importance of the China-Africarelationship.

　　“I think China is doing all this [peace keeping]in the context of its quest to expandits influence in Africa. You cannot get thesethings [trade agreements] in a turbulent place，”Epuuli Kasaija， a Ugandan scholar who haswritten extensively on conflicts in the GreatLakes region of Africa， told ChinAfrica.

　　Dr. Douglas Johnson， an expert onsecurity issues in the Horn of Africa， saidChina’s contribution has not been trumpetedperhaps mostly because it concentrates onkeeping a low profile.

　　“There is enough research that showsChina’s role in fighting piracy off the coastof East Africa. China is also present in almost all conflictswhere UN missions are [operating]. But perhaps as globalgeopolitics change， this role will be more pronounced.China， like other great powers， will have to be involved，because there is a lot to lose if it doesn’t.”

　　Change of heart

　　Some security analysts on the continent who wereinitially pessimistic about the coming of China are startingto change heart.

　　“I have been initially very cynical about the Chineseinvolvement in Africa， but they have realized that there[can’t be] business as usual when people are fighting，”said Rocky Hitchcock， a security expert with KK SecurityServices in Nairobi.

　　“I understand they [China]have given out a ship to patrolthe Indian Ocean waters ina bid to fight piracy. This is apositive move.”

　　According to a paperpublished by the StockholmInternational Peace ResearchInstitute (SIPRI)， Bates Gill andChing-Hao Huang argue thatChina’s recent trend in peacekeeping and security effortsin Africa reflects the desireby China “to become moreresponsive to internationalexpectations， while makingpositive and tangible contributions to global peace andsecurity.”

　　Participating in bringing peace to Africa， the authorsargue， removes the suspicions among Africans and showsChina’s intentions are peaceful， “and to softly balance U.S.and Western influence， while gradually but more firmlyestablishing China’s acceptance as a great power.”

　　Dan Branch， a lecturer of Political Science at the Universityof Warwick in the UK， told ChinAfrica that China’sactivities in Africa should not be viewed as an isolatedpolicy， but as a normal reaction by a country with a strongbond on the continent.

　　“China hasn’t been in a position yet where majoreconomic interests [in Africa] have been threatened bypolitical insecurity. I think it’s easy to predict that eventuallyChina will have to play a more prominent role in peacekeeping or other interventions，” he said.

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