Sovereignty, intervention and peacekeeping: The view from Beijing

For the Chinese leadership, defence of a 'thick' notion of sovereignty serv es to enhance its legitimacy, deflect criticism of its domestic policies an d to resist outside involvement in the Taiwan issue. Yet, since the People' s Republic initially opened up in the 1970s, China's strict sovereign prero gatives have gradually eroded. Today, the nexus where defence of Chinese so vereignty meets the imperative of engaging the outside world defines both t he limits and the possibilities of enmeshing China within international soc iety. The challenge for the international community is to understand the dy namics of China's sovereignty-integration nexus and to identify policies th at will strengthen Beijing's commitment to international peace and stabilit y. In this regard, China's participation in UN peacekeeping operations is o ften overlooked as an area of interest.