China's rise in the field of peacebuilding has sparked a lively debate about China's role in the existing normative order of liberal peacebuilding. However, the existing studies have largely looked into China's role through the dichotomous framework o...
China's rise in the field of peacebuilding has sparked a lively debate about China's role in the existing normative order of liberal peacebuilding. However, the existing studies have largely looked into China's role through the dichotomous framework of challenger versus supporter, ignoring the nature and scope of its challenges against liberal peacebuilding. Based on the theoretical discussion of norm contestation, this study presents an analytical framework that can help to understand China's complex and multidimensional role beyond such a dichotomous framework. Based on the analytical framework, this article analyzes China's approach to the normative structure of liberal peacebuilding, focusing on its normative contestations against liberal peacebuilding since the 2000s. For this analysis, this study investigates China's discourses and behaviors in the field of peacebuilding since the 2000s through a systematic review of China's relevant policy documents, foreign ministry briefings, white papers, official speeches and statements, as well as the extensive reviews of relevant literature. Through this analysis, this article shows the following results: First, since the 2000s, China has generally refrained from validity contestation against the normative basis of liberal peacebuilding. Second, however, China has been actively pursuing content contestation against the sequencing and content of peacebuilding by readjusting the priorities of the components of peacebuilding and incorporating a new element beyond liberal peace into the peacebuilding agenda. Third, China has also publicly raised on application contestation against the principles of implementing liberal peacebuilding, expressing clear opposition to peace solutions externally created or imposed.