Beyond Humanitarianism: China’s Role in Darfur

Abstract

Chinese involvement in Sudan stimulated a plethora of media coverage, most of the contents tended to portray Chinese engagement as passive, apolitical, and confined to the energy interests in Sudan. But with close scrutiny, China’s engagement in Sudan and specifically in Darfur is active and vibrant. It increased markedly and became multifaceted. This paper aims to investigate the role being played by China in Darfur, where the conflict became complex involving local, regional and international players. It attempts to analyze how China struggled to maintain a balance between the principle of non-interference on one hand and increasing its engagement in issues of peace, security, and governance on the other. The paper suggests that while China’s global impact is increasing, its active engagement to address local and regional crises will eventually increase.