The concept of "responsibility to protect" in the Foreign policy of PRC at the present stage

This paper analyzes the changes in the attitude of the People's Republic of China to the concept of «responsibility to protect» and identifies the causes of these changes. Peacekeeping activities of the People's Republic of China in Africa was chosen as an empirical material, since it illustrates the change in China’s approach to the concept of «responsibility to protect» very well, because the most extensive peacekeeping activity has deployed in Africa, and at present China’s contribution to it is the largest of the Permanent members of the UN Security Council. To achieve the goal, the following was accomplished: the meaning of the UN initiative «responsibility to protect» was determined, the origins of this initiative were analyzed and the stages of its development at the UN in the 2000s were traced; the correlation of the concept of «responsibility to protect» with the concept of «non-interference in internal affairs», which China adhered to earlier, is revealed; The stages of evolution of China’s approach to the concept of «responsibility to protect» are analyzed on the example of specific episodes of China’s participation in peacekeeping in Africa. Various theoretical works, official documents of the PRC, speeches of representatives of the PRC, information from the official UN website, etc. were used for this. The data was used to determine the reasons why the PRC has begun to adhere a more flexible position to the concept of «responsibility to protect». There are several reasons for these changes: 1. The involvement of the PRC in international economic relations, and then in international political relations; 2. The necessity to enhance the international status of the PRC; 3. Contribution to conflict resolutions as a part of China's «soft power» at the present stage.