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China poised to play peacekeeper and advocate in post-war Gaza, but US holds key to truce, analysts say
- Observers say Chinese troops could play leading role in peacekeeping efforts if UN forces are allowed in region
- China could ‘exploit the cracks in the Western world’ to put pressure on political process, but only Washington holds sway over Israel, experts say
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China could contribute to post-war Gaza’s political and economic reconstruction through peacekeeping missions and economic aid, but its power to influence a lasting truce is limited compared to Washington’s, analysts said.
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On Wednesday, Israel approved a temporary ceasefire with the militant group Hamas, which is expected to win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The United States and the European Union discussed the Gaza Strip’s post-war governance with an international peacekeeping force earlier this month, Bloomberg reported, describing the talks as “preliminary”.
Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, said if UN peacekeeping forces were deployed in Gaza, China would be among the leading powers in the efforts to protect the area.
“Israel is unlikely to eliminate Hamas with its war, and an Israeli occupation will surely backfire. This means peacekeeping could be needed one day,” he said.
Zhou, a former senior colonel with the People’s Liberation Army, said China, as the largest provider of peacekeeping troops among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, would be well placed to lead peacekeeping efforts.
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China has 8,000 peacekeepers in the UN’s standby force, but only a couple thousand Chinese peacekeeping troops are currently deployed. Between 1992 and 2018, the country’s army sent more than 35,000 military personnel to participate in 24 United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world.
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