China Presented a Four-Point African Peace and Security Proposal in an Open UN Security Council Debate

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired an open debate at the UN Security Council on Wednesday to discuss a four-point proposal on African peace and security in the post-COVID-era.

The meeting “Peace and Security in Africa: Addressing Root Causes of Conflict While Promoting Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa” was organized as part of China’s capacity as Security Council president for May.

The Foreign Minister identified four deficiencies that China contends are the most pressing issues for Africa as it tries to rebound from the COVID-19-induced health and economic crises (descriptions below via China Daily):

• GAP IN COVID-19 RESPONSE: Wang urged the international community to help Africa with medical supplies to fight the pandemic and to boost the availability and affordability of vaccines. “We call on the countries with the capacity to urgently share their surplus vaccines with Africa,” Wang said.

• PEACE DEFICIT: The UN and the African Union should work together closely to ensure the progress of two major initiatives: “a global ceasefire” and “eliminating gun fire in Africa”, Wang said. The international community should continue to support the countries in seeking African solutions for African problems and to promote the process of political settlement and peaceful reconciliation, he added.

• DEVELOPMENT GAP: The key is to support African countries in exploring a development path suitable to their national conditions, Wang said. He called on developed countries to “take real steps on debt relief, development assistance, and technology transfer, and fulfill their due international responsibilities”.

• INJUSTICE IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: “The UN won’t be able to hold its political or moral ground if it fails to pay attention to the peace in Africa or help Africa with its development,” Wang said. Equality of rights, equality of opportunities and equality of rules won’t be achieved if African countries do not have greater representation and a stronger voice in international affairs, he concluded.

Wang’s comments incorporated several deeply embedded Chinese international relations narratives, some related to Beijing’s current dispute with Washington and others that date back to the 1955 Bandung Conference, where China positioned itself as the de facto leader of the “third world.”

The foreign minister’s reference to vaccine inequity and the need for wealthy countries to “share their surpluses” is clearly a dig at the United States, whereas the language about “injustice in global governance” is a deeply ingrained Chinese foreign policy theme that former Premier Zhou Enlai regularly referenced in the context of the anti-colonial struggles in the mid-to-late 20th century and has re-emerged in the Xi Jinping era.

SUGGESTED READING:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: A Presidential Statement on Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa Adopted at the UN Security Council Open Debate Chaired by Wang Yi
• CGTN: Wang Yi: China firmly supports Africa in fight against COVID-19

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The post China Presented a Four-Point African Peace and Security Proposal in an Open UN Security Council Debate appeared first on The China Africa Project.

source https://chinaafricaproject.com/2021/05/20/china-presented-a-four-point-african-peace-and-security-proposal-in-an-open-un-security-council-debate/