China's international influence

Question 1

China & UN

Answer 1

• it’s new involvement focuses on three areas, peacekeeping, climate change negotiation and development
• peacekeeping, provides UN with 6.5% of it’s overall peacekeeping budget, offers assistance to many countries to tackle terrorism and violence, supplies 8000 troops to UN peacekeeping force
• climate change, promised $3 billion to help the poorest countries cope with the costs of climate change
• development, committed $2 billion for the poorest countries to spend on health, education and economic development

Question 2

China & USA

Answer 2

• USA has been identified as a superpower, China not yet
• China spends $228 billion on its army, second highest defence budget behind USA, China has the largest army in the world with 2.3 million soldiers, worrying for rest of world as lack of information regarding its use and control
• tension caused over USA’s protection of Taiwan, China declared a law which allows military responses to react if Taiwan declare independence or un-peaceful unification
• USA provides Taiwan with up to date military equipment

Question 3

China & others

Answer 3

• G20, Xi Jingping attended a G20 meeting for the first time showing China is a key player in the economic stability of the world
• Soft power, limited success in appearing as an attractive country to be associated with, concerns with human rights and democracy, although UK and Scotland are willing to look past this when regarding trade deals
• EU, China is the EU’s biggest source of imports, trade on over $1 million a day, although 65% of goods confiscated in the EU are made in China, they feel China should be doing more to prevent this

Question 4

China & Africa

Answer 4

• Chinese companies have been closely involved in building railways and stadiums, in return Kenya and Uganda will teach Mandarin to their pupils
• they gifted $127 million to African Union which was seen as evidence of Beijing strengthening their influence

Question 5

China & neighbours

Answer 5

• China recently positioned an oil rig in an area of South China sea claimed by Vietnam leading to stand off between ships of both countries
• China adopts a more aggressive approach towards its neighbours
• in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test and ballistic missile launch, serious sanctions were made involving china stopping all exports which could lead to a humanitarian crisis

Question 6

conclusion

Answer 6

• rapidly becoming one of the world’s most important countries
• willing to work with other countries regardless of ideology
• closing gap on US economy and set to take over
• still not super power due to lack of soft power
• influence strong towards neighbours