The Dragon in Turtle Bay: The Impact of China’s Rise in the UN on the United States and Global Governance

China’s role in the United Nations is steadily rising at a time the United States is seeking burden-sharing and rethinking its multilateral leadership role. In this article, MARK P. LAGON and THERESA LOU highlight that China’s increasing role in three critical areas — (1) UN peacekeeping; (2) the work of the UN on human rights, particularly in the Human Rights Council; and (3) the governance of the digital realm and Internet freedom — has significant implications for U.S. interests and broader global governance efforts.
Although China’s transformation into a responsible stakeholder in various areas of the UN’s work could be promising, Beijing’s attempts to alter existing liberal norms bear close examination, they write. "As China boldly promotes its alternative vision for global governance, the United States needs to work with fellow market democracies to reaffirm and rededicate themselves to the liberal international order. Such collective action is a matter of interest, not altruism."
Those seeking a larger Chinese role in the UN might best be careful what they wish for, the authors contend. Despite the emergence of populism and some skepticism of multilateral arrangements in their domestic politics, the United States and like-minded nations have an interest in reinforcing liberal norms in these three areas of global governance and beyond.