A Comparative Analysis Of China And The United States' Contributions To The United Nations

In recent years, China’s apportionment of the United Nations regular budget increased rapidly as a result of the steady growth of its economy and comprehensive national power. Pursuant to the Resolution A/RES/70/245, China’s scale of assessment for 2016-2018 has grown by over 50%. China now becomes the third largest contributor to the UN regular budget after the United States and Japan.Contributions to the UN Regular budget is a barometer that partially reflects the relations between member states and the UN. The final assessment is determined by the game among great powers and country groups. The aforementioned increase, which is a natural process, has not brought much attention to the academia, but may bring opportunities as well as challenges to China’s participation in the UN affairs, and far-reaching impact on its national interests and international responsibilities. In particular, the rise of China’s contributions to the UN will render favorable conditions to its Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics as well as extra burden on the exchequer. Furthermore, the gap between China’s financial contributions and its due participation in the international affairs will be wider.The United States,the No.1 economy in the world, is not only the UN Founding Member and its headquarters, but its largest benefactor, playing a pivotal role in its fiscal affairs. This dissertation tries to make a comparison between the US and China, explore their histories in paying their shares of UN regular budget, locate internal and external variables of their respective records, and make favorable references for China in further participating in the UN affairs. In comparison, the dissertation finds that the US tends to peg its contributions to political issues, and even take its arrears as threats to interfere in UN operations, while China has always honored its financial commitments and obligations, setting up a moral example. The dissertation concludes that it’s advisable for China to continue its fiscal contributions as an exemplary UN Member State and in the meantime further its understanding, mastery and application of the UN rules and procedures in better balancing its national interest and international image.