Global security needs combined approach

The key is to devise substantial, practical and feasible cooperation programs that all parties can agree to, rather than let broad political issues overshadow practical relationships between China, European countries, and states in the Middle East and Africa.

Military cooperation between China and some European countries is promising. China and the UK have cooperated on peacekeeping training programs. From 2007 to 2009, the UK provided a "Peacekeeping English Project" at China's Peacekeeping Training Center.

There are a number of potential areas where further cooperation between UK military forces and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) can be developed.

One area is in assisting China to better understand the rules of engagement in complex and dangerous peacekeeping environments. Currently, China contributes "force enablers", such as engineering, transportation and medical companies. The international community, including the UK, has encouraged China to take a step further and contribute infantry forces to UN peacekeeping.

There is an urgent need for China to determine whether providing combat forces inevitably conflicts with the principle of the minimum use of force in peacekeeping, a fundamental principle that is strictly upheld by China. However, UN peacekeeping operations are now conducted in very dangerous environments, in which peace agreements are extremely fragile and often violated.

When should UN peacekeepers strike pre-emptively, for example, in the face of imminent threats to civilian lives? To encourage a greater contribution by China, basing training programs around such questions is crucial.

But cooperation programs should not merely aim to encourage the development of China's peacekeeping practices. China has a track record encompassing more than 20 years in UN peacekeeping; it now has a wealth of experience to share with other countries.

Building up the peacekeeping capacity in Africa is essential for the future of an international peacekeeping system. One idea that has emerged is a trilateral "training of trainers" program, in which African peacekeepers could be taught to be trainers in their home countries; and Chinese and UK military personnel could learn about African perspectives on peacekeeping.

China and the EU have cooperated extensively in anti-piracy operations, but they should also look to increase partnerships in non-combatant evacuation operations, which are important for both Chinese and European citizens who work in conflict-prone regions like Libya.

Cooperation in this area already exists in the Asia Pacific. "Cobra Gold", a product of US-Thai bilateral cooperation, offers multilateral joint military exercise opportunities, with China as an observer. Although the political contexts are different, this could provide the basis for collaboration between China and Europe in establishing a multilateral defense cooperation mechanism focusing on the Middle East and Africa.

A top-down approach - agreement in principle followed by practical cooperation - will never resolve the enormous security challenges we are faced with today. What we need is a bottom-up approach - creative cooperation mechanisms that may narrow the political divide in the long run.

The author is a research fellow at the China Policy Institute and RCUK research fellow at the School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham.

(China Daily 05/25/2011 page8)

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