THE ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF CHINA'S PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE: THE CASE OF AFRICA

Regarding cultural, demographic, geographic and economic potential it has had, People’s Republic of China has been one of the prominent civilazations of the world throughout history. Moreover, it has been rising as a potential new great power today. During the 1950s, China noticed that its material potential could cause regional and global powers to stand together against it and decided to embrace a new peaceful foreign policy discourse and to build its new foreign policies in accordance with the new discourse so that it could prevent China’s neighbours and global super powers from gathering in the anti-China camp. Today labelled as Peaceful Development Strategy, the new discourse has created tough debates over topics such as its main principals, the root causes it arised from and how it will be seen in the future. This paper, first tries to shed light on the historical and intellectual background of it, exploring the root strategic and political necessities that engender its emergence. Then, secondly, the paper tries to reveal the opportunities and limits of the new peaceful discourse with regards to global politics by handling a few case studies in China - Africa Relations. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is selected as a case study to analyze how the Peaceful Development has provided China with opportunities in international relations. The importance of Africa in China's national and foreign policy goals and the role of Peaceful Development in achieving these goals make a significant contribution to understanding the benefits of this foreign policy strategy. Examples of China's interventions resulted from both its national and international interests in the face of conflicts and instabilities in Africa have been taken as a case study to explore the current constraints and possible future situation of Peaceful Development.

Keywords

China’s Foreign Policy, Peaceful Development, Non-Interference Principle, China-Africa Relations