China Steps Up for Peace in South Sudan

On January 12, a peace conference on the crisis in South Sudan took place in Khartoum. With representatives from China, Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the South Sudanese government and the rebels agreed to work together to end the civil war and to allow humanitarian aid for civilians. This conference was significant in that China, who has traditionally steered clear of other countries’ domestic conflict, stepped up as a broker. Understandably, this has aroused curiosities about China’s new role in the region.

The civil war in South Sudan erupted in December 2013, only two years after the nation’s independence from Sudan. President Salva Kiir and then-Vice President Riek Machar, who are of Dinka and Nuer ethnicity respectively, had conflicting views on the timing and the agenda of the national reconciliation conference. After Kiir ordered a suspension of the conference, Machar declared his intention to challenge Kiir for the leadership of the ruling party, leading Kiir to suspect that Machar planned to use the conference for his political campaign. Visible tension arose in June 2013 as Kiir dismissed the entire cabinet. Shortly after both ethnic groups armed themselves, a civil war broke out. The conflict has resulted in millions of civilian casualties, and the refugees fleeing their homeland have posed a problem for neighboring countries as well.

The Chinese initiative suggests that Beijing is committing to a more responsive and active role. Since 1954, China has based its foreign policy on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which include respect for sovereignty and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Some have speculated that this stance comes from Beijing’s efforts to prevent other countries from intervening in its tensions with Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong. China’s isolationist policy is best seen through its relative indifference in the Security Council towards intervention in Syria.

However, amid the worsening situation in South Sudan, Beijing appears to be deviating from this role. According to China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, it is China’s “responsibilities and obligations…as a responsible major country” to mediate a conference. Even before the peace conference, China had invested large sums of money to relocate refugee camps and to preserve previous ceasefire deals, which the warring parties have repeatedly violated.

Another view suggests that China’s peace effort comes as no surprise, considering the country’s stake in South Sudan. China had been a big investor in Sudan before South Sudan seceded. After independence, China and South Sudan struck an agreement on an additional 8 billion dollars of investment for infrastructure projects and the oil sector. Currently, China not only imports two-thirds of all South Sudanese oil exports, but is also the young country’s biggest economic partner. Although South Sudanese oil currently makes up less than 1% of China’s total oil imports, its importance is expected to grow.

This view explains China’s vital stake in peace in Africa. Since the 1990s, the China has embraced some of Africa’s fastest growing markets as trade partners and quickly became the largest importer of African oil, minerals and timber. Some of China’s biggest investments in Africa have gone into conflict-torn countries, such as Libya, Sudan, Nigeria, and Congo. In particular, the big failures of its investments in Libya, where many project sites were left deserted or destroyed during the Arab Spring, would have caused China to be more proactive in protecting its profits.

Of course, Beijing emphasized that the initiative was not driven solely by economic benefits. According to Wang Yi, this mediation effort was made at Sudan’s request and was in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions. So far, the international community is responding positively to China’s contribution. The chief mediator of IGAD has lauded China and expressed hope that the conference becomes an important step for future peace efforts. South Sudan has also praised the effort, calling China "a significant coordinator”.

It seems reasonable to look forward to the prospect of the peace agreements brokered by China. Considering the immense importance of China to South Sudan, whose oil exports accounts for 98% of total revenue, the Khartoum agreement would have more weight than previous agreements. Also, it remains an interesting question whether China will expand its diplomatic role to take on further mediation efforts in other parts of Africa.