From Isolationism to Engagement on the World Stage: The People’s Republic of China’s Position within the United Nations Security Council: 1971-2004

Abstract

The thesis looks at the extent to which the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) voting position shifted in the United States Security Council (UNSC) from October 1971 to December 2004. After the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989, the PRC was forced to integrate further into the international system and for this to happen their stance on national sovereignty rights, in relation to United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO), went from one of isolationism to engagement; This shift was made possible due to modernisation reforms conducted by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. The unexpected consequence of this shift was the increase in soft power that the PRC received and the added reputation that comes with it. As such, the PRC registered this effect and began engaging with UNPKO at a greater rate, further boosting its soft power, and highlighting the shift away from its stance on sovereignty during the isolationist period after Tiananmen. This is directly reflected in the data of the PRC’s voting record from passed UNSC resolutions.

This thesis will highlight four separate phases in which the PRC’s position changed. These time periods will be: 1971-1976, 1977-1981, 1982-1989 and 1990-2004.

The PRC’s use of abstentions, vetoes and nonparticipation is analysed and compared with other members of the Permanent Five (P5) UNSC to reflect its position. Additionally, the PRC’s own UNPKO contributions will be scrutinised against the voting record data, so as to spotlight the effects that soft power, generated from UNPKO, had on the PRC’s voting pattern and therefore explain the shift.