China’s Peace Agency Beyond UN Peacekeeping Contexts - Developmental Peace and the Shift from ‘Good’ to ‘Effective’ Governance

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of China’s concept of “developmental peace” as an alternative to the Western liberal peace framework, particularly in its application beyond United Nations peacekeeping contexts and into conflict-affected states (CAS) engaged through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Unlike liberal peace, which prioritizes democratization, rule of law, and institutional reform, China’s approach emphasizes economic growth, infrastructure development, and poverty alleviation as the primary drivers of stability, reflecting a pragmatic, state-led model grounded in principles of sovereignty and non-interference. The study argues that China’s expanding “peace agency” abroad necessitates deeper theoretical engagement, as its development-first strategy increasingly interacts with the complex sociopolitical dynamics of partner states. While existing literature has largely focused on the economic dimension of developmental peace, this article highlights the relative neglect of “effective governance” as a critical second tier, arguing that growth alone cannot ensure sustainable peace in contexts marked by inequality, weak institutions, and limited local inclusion. Drawing on broader development theory, including Hirschman’s concept of unbalanced growth and critiques of the Washington Consensus, the article situates China’s approach within a wider framework of adaptive and non-linear development processes. It concludes that a more nuanced understanding of the interaction between economic growth and governance is essential to evaluating the long-term viability of developmental peace, thereby contributing to ongoing debates on alternative peacebuilding models and global development governance.