Sunday, November 27, 2016

China and the Peacekeeping Challenge in South Sudan

The Wall Street Journal published on 15 November 2016 an article titled "China Discovers the Price of Global Power: Soldiers Returning in Caskets" by Jeremy Page and Matina Stevis.

Two Chinese peacekeepers were killed in Juba, South Sudan, in July 2016 not long after the death of another peacekeeper assigned to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. The Chinese government and public are now dealing with the issue of Chinese peacekeepers returning in caskets following death in combat. This is a new experience for China and underscores the price paid for reaching great power status.

Quartz Africa carried an article on this incident on 11 July 2016 titled "China Reacts to the Death of To Peacekeepers in South Sudan with Grief and Rage" by Lily Kuo and Echo Huang. This article provides additional background.