Author: Joseph Y. S. Cheng, Huangao Shi.

China’s policy in Darfur offers a significant case study of how Beijing reconciles the pursuit of short-term gains with the need to secure its long-term interests by responding to the expectations of the international community. Oil is important but no longer the sole strategic factor in China’s foreign policy calculus. China’s prosperity and strength and the respect it commands in the international community are now the most important sources of its regime’s legitimacy. In this way, China’s quest for international recognition as a major power constitutes an important part of the Communist Party’s mandate to rule domestically. China’s traditional claim of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states is giving way to a broader definition of national interests and a greater willingness to embrace global institutions and international norms. China’s engagement in Darfur should therefore be perceived as part of its wider foreign policy adjustment process involving a changing attitude toward “rogue states,” multilateral diplomacy, and human rights issues. (Issues Stud/GIGA)