ASIA FORUM with Niu Zhongjun

Foreign Affairs University of China

Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 10:00-11:30

The United Nations is the most important international organization in the world, which is also the most important platform for China’s multilateral diplomacy.  However, China had been excluded from the membership of the UN for quite a long time, so China’s attitude towards the UN has been changed from denying and doubting to acknowledging and recognizing. With the development of China’s reform and opening up as well as the ending of the Cold War, China has become more and more involved in the international community. Learning from more frequent exchanges and diplomatic experience with foreign countries, China has begun to recognize and attach greater importance to the role played by UN, and tries to achieve its goal of “being a responsible power” by participating in UN affairs. Therefore, China’s foreign policy in the UN has undergone a gradual changing process from the restoration of membership, selective participation, comprehensive participation, and further engagement. The most crucial reason for this process lies in the change of China’s attitude towards UN. This seminar will focus on analyzing the development of China’s policy in the UN from a historical point of view in relation to China’s attitude towards the UN.