China in the UN: Responsibility to Protect and the Rohingya Conflict

The goal of this paper is to give an insight on the complexity issues connected with the role of China in the United Nation’s (UN) action upon the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. The research does so by analyzing the variety of steps undertaken, between August 2017 and February 2019, by the Security Council (SC), General Assembly (GA) and Human Rights Council (HRC), and China’s response to them in the UN in the context of the Rohingya Conflict within the three pillars concept. The Security Council is the most important decision making body in the UN and China has an important role in it as a member of the permanent five (P5). It’s growing importance in the UN and close relationship with Myanmar make it one of the most important actors in the peace process in Rakhine state. Even though China has accepted the R2P concept, it still remains cautious about its influence on the principle of sovereignty. The issue of the principle of sovereignty is often used by China as an...Show moreThe goal of this paper is to give an insight on the complexity issues connected with the role of China in the United Nation’s (UN) action upon the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. The research does so by analyzing the variety of steps undertaken, between August 2017 and February 2019, by the Security Council (SC), General Assembly (GA) and Human Rights Council (HRC), and China’s response to them in the UN in the context of the Rohingya Conflict within the three pillars concept. The Security Council is the most important decision making body in the UN and China has an important role in it as a member of the permanent five (P5). It’s growing importance in the UN and close relationship with Myanmar make it one of the most important actors in the peace process in Rakhine state. Even though China has accepted the R2P concept, it still remains cautious about its influence on the principle of sovereignty. The issue of the principle of sovereignty is often used by China as an narrative against putting more pressure on Myanmar’s government in regards to the Rohingya Conflict. Therefore, undertaking any decisive action by the UNSC under R2P proves to be a complex matter. This research thus agrees with major critiques of the UNSC structure and the R2P principle, which state that the R2P needs more clarification. However, the research also agrees that the R2P has been accepted into the UN as a norm and that China has assumed a key role as a mediator in the Rohingya Conflict using R2P as a narrative supporting its actions.Show less

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China in the UN: Responsibility to Protect and the Rohingya Conflict