Rise of China’s Developmental Peace: Prospects for Asian Hybrid Peacebuilding

Abstract

The rise of China represents an increase not only in Chinese military, political and economic power, but also in Chinese interests in becoming a more proactive player in the field of international peacebuilding, particularly in Asia, where it aims to protect stability and enhance the scope of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, without a clear peacebuilding policy at home, China is not adopting a systematic and unified approach to peacebuilding despite its developmental peace having many traits that resemble the pursuit of hybrid peacebuilding that other major actors in the field have adopted to address the shortcomings of liberal peacebuilding. Asia is a conflict-prone region. This chapter examines the practice of developmental peace in Myanmar and Afghanistan/Pakistan to demonstrate the potential for peacebuilding with Chinese characteristics. The rise of China also brings an interesting style of peacebuilding that is focused on addressing conflict through economic development, while upholding the host country’s sovereign rights.