2023
China in the UN Monitor (12/2023). In December, one of the most significant issues related to the People's Republic of China's activities within the UN forum, there was a notable hardening of PRC's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. China labeled Israel as an occupier and called for adherence to the principles of international law stemming from such a status. Furthermore, China is showing increasing determination towards organizing an international conference dedicated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the expected conclusion being the adoption of a timeline for the implementation of the two-state solution, which would conclude the current phase of the conflict and grant statehood to Palestine. Additionally, China's rhetoric in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war has garnered attention. Chinese diplomacy called for mitigating the global consequences of the war, diverting attention away from Ukraine and the dilemmas associated with Russia's ongoing aggression against a sovereign state.Download the complete information from December with the commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (11/2023). In November, the PRC took over the rotating presidency of the UNSC's work, using this capacity to "demonstrate effectiveness" by adopting UNSC Resolution 2712 on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and organizing an open debate on "the promotion of peace through mutual development." Moreover, special attention should be paid to China's critical position towards UN peacekeeping missions and its efforts to introduce changes in their functioning. Moreover, the Chinese activity at the UN was largely influenced by other November events, such as Xi Jinping's visit to the US and the virtual BRICS summit and the attempt to coordinate the members' positions proposed by the PRC. Download the complete information from November with the commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (10/2023). In October, most of China's activities at the UNSC were dominated by the issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Ukraine. In addition, special attention should be paid to Xi Jinping's presentation of China's new "global initiative" in AI governance. Additionally, during the meeting between Xi Jinping and Dilma Rousseff, Xi called for transforming the New Development Bank (NDB) and making the financial system more fair, especially for the countries of the Global South. Download the entire October briefing with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (9/2023). In September, important issues related to the PRC's activities within the UN include an open debate on the work of the UN Security Council (UN SC). The PRC requested to limit the number of topics appearing on the agenda, such as the discussion on human rights, which remains problematic for Beijing. Moreover, China requested for the permanent inclusion of African representatives in the work of the UN SC. Additionally, special attention should be paid to the frequent promotion of "China's global initiatives", especially in the context of humanitarian aid and support for countries of the Global South. Download the entire September briefing with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (7-8/2023). In July and August, key issues related to China's activities at the UN included the open debate of the UN Security Council on hunger and the threat to food security. China's diplomacy has almost entirely focused on the development of cooperation with countries in the Global South. This is, in turn, being used by China to build a "network of contacts," mainly in Latin America and Africa. In this regard, China's actions within other multilateral formats (BRICS, SCO), which are increasingly being used to coordinate international policy within the UN, also draw attention.Download the entire July and August briefing with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (6/2023). In June, the key issues related to the activities of the People's Republic of China (PRC) within the UN included the UN Security Council briefing on maintaining international peace and security. The representative of the PRC focused on four primary areas related to the "global initiatives" introduced by Xi Jinping. Furthermore, the growing tensions between China and Russia are worth noting, particularly in the context of Moscow's nuclear escalation. A highly significant event for Sino-American relations at the UN was also Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing. It marked the first high-level visit in bilateral relations since 2018. Download the entire June briefing with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (5/2023). In May, two UN Security Council briefings on the situation in Ukraine were among the key issues related to the PRC's activities within the UN. The PRC focused on setting "red lines" regarding the potential escalation of the nuclear conflict associated with Russia's planned deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. In addition, a series of meetings and discussions on the PRC's work with the African Union deserves special attention. It should also be noted that the propaganda use of the World Health Assembly's (WHA) refusal of Taiwan's membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) by the PRC. In addition, American diplomacy at the UN is paying increasing attention to the development of China's hacking environment. Download the entire May news with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (4/2023). In April, one of the most important issues addressed at the UN with the participation of the PRC was a discussion on the future of multilateralism. Sergey Lavrov chaired the meeting among members of the UN Security Council. In addition, it is worth noting that the first telephone conversation between the Presidents of the PRC and Ukraine took place since the beginning of Russian aggression. Can this imply a change in the PRC’s position towards Russia within the UN? Additionally, Wang Yi’s activity is noteworthy, as he is involved in a dialogue on the reform of the UN Security Council. Download the entire April news with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (3/2023). In March, the most critical issues related to the PRC's activity at the UN forum included adopting the UNSC resolution on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After announcing the results of the Council's vote, the discussion allowed PRC diplomats to criticize US actions at the UN forum openly. Moreover, the UNSC agenda also raised the historic issue of starting NATO's military intervention in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which should be linked to Xi Jinping's planned visit to Serbia during the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese embassy. Moreover, the Council discussed the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine, which is mainly related to the activity of Western countries. For Beijing, all the events mentioned above at the UN forum served as a platform for criticism of Washington’s recent actions. More information from March with commentary is available here.
China in the UN Monitor (2/2023). In February, the most important issues related to the PRC's activity at the UN forum included the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The position of the PRC focused on the so-called second and third-generation human rights. It should be emphasized that this first generation - often ignored by the PRC - is concerned, among others, with protecting the individual against abuse by the authorities. Moreover, an interesting thread is the involvement of the People's Republic of China in the Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development, initiated in 2020 by Turkmenistan and currently used by China to promote international policy slogans. Moreover, in the face of the Munich Security Conference and the second anniversary of the outbreak of Russia's war in Ukraine, it is essential to analyze the position of the PRC at the UN forum in this respect. Download all information from February, along with commentary here.
China in the UN Monitor (1/2023). In January, the most critical issues related to the PRC's activity at the UN forum include the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. According to Western sources, Chinese diplomacy actively lobbied developing countries, influencing the nature of the debate on the issue of human rights in China. China's diplomacy also participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos, where China de facto identified its priority areas of international cooperation. Similar conclusions should be drawn after the Sino-American talks on celebrating the 45th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. Both China and the United States are establishing areas of bilateral cooperation intended to reduce tensions between the great powers. Download all information from January, along with commentary here.