China looks to expand its peacekeeping forces

Many aspects of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States have been noteworthy, but a particularly interesting element emerged during his speech to the UN General Assembly. Buried at the end of his speech was a promise to set up an 8,000-strong peacekeeping force. China is testing the waters a little more as it moves toward establishing a global military capability.

This does not mean that China will suddenly deploy 8,000 troops. It does mean that Chinese participation in peacekeeping efforts in a variety of places will grow. Most UN peacekeeping operations are in Africa, and a Chinese peacekeeping presence will go hand in hand with the political and economic ties Beijing has established in the continent. Participating in operations in countries where it also has direct economic interests, such as South Sudan, will also help Beijing reinforce its foreign policy. However, deploying to other regions such as the Middle East or Eastern Europe could incite opposition to China’s expanded role, although a presence in these areas could serve Beijing’s interests even more as it seeks to extend its influence westward.