Multilateralism and China–UN Relations

Composed of 192 member states, the United Nations (UN) is the largest and most comprehensive international organization as well as the most important international platform for multilateral diplomacy. The UN is also a stable framework for international cooperation between nation-states. As one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China holds a special international status that allows it to play a very important role in the UN. During the Cold War, the People’s Republic of China was excluded from the UN for 22 years until its admission in 1971. However, China adopted a negative attitude towards the UN for a long period after its accession to the UN, during which China used the UN as a way to publicize its foreign policy and obtain economic benefits. After the adoption of its Reform and Opening up Policy, and especially after the end of the Cold War, China became more involved in the international community. Learning from diplomatic interaction with foreign countries, it began to recognize the value of the UN in trying to achieve its goal of acting as “a responsible power,” and increased the scope and depth of its participation in UN affairs. Its UN policy thus underwent a gradual process of change from the restoration of membership, selective participation, comprehensive participation and further engagement. This paper analyzes the process from a historical point of view in relation to China’s attitude towards the UN.