Author: Daniel Large.

T his article examine s China’s engagement with South Sudan between December 2013 , when conflict broke out again in the world’s newest independent state , and August 2015, when a deal supposed to end the fighting was formally signed . I t argues that China’s engagement came to be dominated by a closely related combination of political and security concerns founded in , but going beyond , its economic interests and associated investment protection imperatives . In this way, South Sudan has been the site of a n evolving , experimental and more proactive Chinese political and security engagement. F or China , this represent s a notable departure in its peace and security engagement in Sub - Saharan Africa . A t the same time, China ’s role , like other external actors in South Sudan , has been partly constitutive of but very much subordinated to the politics of armed conflict. China sought to practically negotiate a challenging dilemma concerning the relationship between peace, economic development and conflict.