However, China’s approach to peacemaking and conflict management differs significantly from that pursued by Western states. China advocates a “developmental peace” approach that prioritizes economic development and capacity-building, arguing that development leads to peace by becoming a cause on which deeply torn societies can find common ground. This is positioned as an alternative to Western-sponsored programs in which “liberal peace” is based on political inclusion.

In this report our authors Xinyu Yuan and Pascal Abb explore the development of China’s approach to peace across traditional Chinese philosophy and modern political doctrines, showing how this intellectual history has shaped contemporary Chinese peace agency. It finds that the “developmental peace” concept is mainly influenced by two factors: China’s own experience of creating domestic stability through economic growth, and the lingering influence of Marxist thought on economic determinism.