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China, the UN, and Human Protection: Beliefs, Power, Image
Over a relatively short period of time, Beijing moved from dismissing the UN to embracing it. How are we to make sense of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) embrace of the UN, and what does its engagement mean in larger terms?
This study focuses directly on Beijing's involvement in one of the most contentious areas of UN activity -- human protection -- contentious because the norm of human protection tips the balance away from the UN's Westphalian state-based profile, towards the provision of greater protection for the security of individuals and their individual liberties. The argument that follows shows that, as an ever-more crucial actor within the United Nations, Beijing's rhetoric and some of its practices are playing an increasingly important role in determining how this norm is articulated and interpreted. In some cases, the PRC is also influencing how these ideas of human protection are implemented. At stake in the questions this book tackles is both how we understand the PRC as a participant in shaping global order, and the future of some of the core norms which constitute that order.
This study focuses directly on Beijing's involvement in one of the most contentious areas of UN activity -- human protection -- contentious because the norm of human protection tips the balance away from the UN's Westphalian state-based profile, towards the provision of greater protection for the security of individuals and their individual liberties. The argument that follows shows that, as an ever-more crucial actor within the United Nations, Beijing's rhetoric and some of its practices are playing an increasingly important role in determining how this norm is articulated and interpreted. In some cases, the PRC is also influencing how these ideas of human protection are implemented. At stake in the questions this book tackles is both how we understand the PRC as a participant in shaping global order, and the future of some of the core norms which constitute that order.
- GenresChina
326 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2020
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October 3, 2025
Good combination of explaining the UN’s inner workings and China’s UN strategy. The book provides thorough explanation how Chinese political philosophy and history has effect on its current day governance and how this relates to Chinas foreign policy in the UN and their interpretation of human rights.
Notably, human rights promotion has been synonymous with the promotion of a liberal democracy, signifying how China views the UN as promoting Western interests. China itself believes in human rights promotion through economic development, not regime change. However, the author rightfully raises the subject of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, what human rights advice do we take from a country that locks Uyghurs up in camps? Yet on the other hand, China has improved the life of hunderds of millions of people through its economic policies, so I dont believe their view is entirely discardable. Although this form of human rights enablement might be a by-product of China’s rise to power.
By promoting human rights this way, China could also use this promotion of human rights as a means to increase influence on developing nations, but then again, one could argue the West is doing the same. Has the promotion of human rights ever truly been the goal? They even say themselves: ‘when we vote for syria, we are thinking of China’.
Notably, human rights promotion has been synonymous with the promotion of a liberal democracy, signifying how China views the UN as promoting Western interests. China itself believes in human rights promotion through economic development, not regime change. However, the author rightfully raises the subject of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, what human rights advice do we take from a country that locks Uyghurs up in camps? Yet on the other hand, China has improved the life of hunderds of millions of people through its economic policies, so I dont believe their view is entirely discardable. Although this form of human rights enablement might be a by-product of China’s rise to power.
By promoting human rights this way, China could also use this promotion of human rights as a means to increase influence on developing nations, but then again, one could argue the West is doing the same. Has the promotion of human rights ever truly been the goal? They even say themselves: ‘when we vote for syria, we are thinking of China’.
Displaying 1 of 1 review