Persistence And Change In China's Non-intervention Foreign Policy: A Comparative Case Analysis Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo And Sudan Conflicts

Non-intervention is at the core of China' s foreign policy. Since the advent of first generation leaders of PRC in 1972, to the contemporary leadership of President Xi Jinping, non-intervention in domestic matters of another state has been a guiding principle in relations with other states. Many bilateral agreements PRC enters with other states have a clause re-affirming this stand. However,scholars and experts on China have argued that over time, the country has shifted from strict non-intervention to intervening in some cases. It has been argued that while China continues to profess the principle, in reality she has changed; that there is a discord between her consistent proclamation, and her action. This paper sought to investigate whether there is indeed a shift or whether China still observes the respect for sovereignty and non-intervention.Using secondary sources of data, the researcher analyzed China' s behavior through two models at the core of sovereignty and non-intervention; china' s voting on sanction related resolutions at the UNSC since 1972 to 2016, and intervention for peacekeeping purposes. The theories of balance of power and institutional liberalism were employed in examining 2 cases of DRC civil war and South Sudan war. Findings can be discussed at systemic level, and unit (domestic) level. On the systemic level, indeed China has gotten more involved in matters of global peace and security. Consequently she has contributed into UN peacekeeping missions more often now than was the case in the 1970's. At the UNSC, China has strived to prevent setting precedence over issues which appear interventionist. The rise of R2P and shrinking scope of what entails sovereignty and what is not has affected China' s behavior. While China may insist on sovereignty, the rise of R2P means intervening under authorization of the UNSC is therefore not'intervention'. China is therefore focused on influencing the direction of intervention,while pushing to have the UNSC as the sole organ where these decisions are made, and where she is a veto wielding member. China is socialized into global norm culture while also striving to shape new norms to guide global relations. At the domestic level,China's state power has grown exponentially and this has meant taking more responsibility reflecting her status. This means trying to shape norms like seen in the rise of 'creative intervention' concept in China.