China’s Rise and Fall at UN

Context: Rising global disenchantment against China paves the way for India to push for reformed Multilateralism in the global system.

Global Disenchantment against China in Post-COVID Era

• China’s Defeat in elections to United Nations (UN) bodies like the UN’s Comission on the Status of Women (CSW), the UN Statistical Commission and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Negative reaction to its threat of a veto to forestall a discussion on the pandemic in the UN- Security Council (UNSC).

China’s Strengths at the United Nations (UN)

• China is a member of the P5 and a huge aid provider to the UN.
• Held top positions at several UN agencies like Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN- Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

Factors leading to the rise of China at the UN

• China’s alliance with the UK and France against German’s Chinese occupation during World War-1.
• China’s refusal to sign the Versailles Peace Treaty as a result of West’s cooperation with Japanese.
• US-China alignment: 
• The US being sympathetic to the Chinese cause helped reach a peace deal between China and Germany. 
• US-China collaborated against the Japanese during World War-2, including US operations conducted from India. 
• Trans-Pacific linkages of the US and China: including the presence of a large Chinese community in the US.
• Inclusion of China into “Four Policemen” group: by the US apart from the Soviet and the UK for ensuring world peace post World War II (later named P5 in San Francisco Conference in 1945)
• US’s perception of China as a bulwark against the USSR. 

Way Forward 

• Institutional Reforms: UNSC and at the Bretton Woods Institutions so that their governance leverages the capabilities of both developed and developing nations
• Recently India, Germany, Japan and Brazil (G4) have sought to refocus the UN on UNSC reform. 
• Collaboration through multiple windows: Coalescing the world in critical areas that require global cooperation, especially climate change, pandemics and counterterrorism. 
• Earlier this year, India was elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a two-year term.
• India will also host the BRICS Summit next year and G20 Summit in 2022. 

Conclusion: Global action requires Multilateralism backed by strong Multipolarity relevant to contemporary realities.