中國正提升其在國際維和中的角色
China is expanding its role in UN peacekeeping operations overseas at a time when the US is rethinking its global duties.
在美國反思其全球責任之際，中國正在擴大其在聯合國海外維和行動中的作用。
Greater participation in peacekeeping gives more clout at the UN, where western countries often control prominent departmental posts. Some Chinese strategists even believe it will help give China a voice in any eventual settlement to the conflict in Syria, where Beijing has so far stayed on the sidelines.
更多地參與維和行動，將在聯合國帶來更大影響力；目前聯合國的重要部門崗位往往由西方國家控制。一些中國戰略家甚至認爲，它將有助於中國在敘利亞衝突的任何最終解決方案中擁有話語權。北京方面迄今在敘利亞衝突中處於旁觀地位。
Among the five permanent Security Council members, China is now the largest contributor to peacekeeping forces, deploying about 2,600 of the total 88,000 “blue berets”.
在聯合國安理會(UN Security Council)的五個常任理事國中，中國現在是維和部隊的最大貢獻國，向8.8萬人的“藍貝雷帽”部隊派出約2600人。
Beijing pledged last year to raise that number to 8,000. It is in contention to head the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which has been dominated by France for many years, according to Foreign Policy magazine.
北京方面去年承諾將這一數字增加到8000人。據《外交政策》(Foreign Policy)雜誌透露，中國還在爭取由其派員執掌聯合國維和行動部，該部門多年來一直由法國人領導。
Beijing sees the sponsoring of peacekeeping missions as “both a responsibility and a chance to lift its international image”, said Shen Dingli, head of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. It “boosts China’s global status and is potentially helpful in antiterrorism missions outside China, so it is helpful to protect Chinese investment and people abroad”.
上海復旦大學美國研究中心主任沈丁立表示，在北京方面看來，支持維和任務“既是責任，也是提升自身國際形象的機遇”。這麼做“提升中國的國際地位，潛在還有助於中國境外的反恐任務，因此有助於保護中國在海外的投資和人員”。
Taking the lead could position China for a greater voice in Africa — which hosts nine of the UN’s 16 peacekeeping missions — and, at some point, the Middle East. Beijing has watched in dismay as violence engulfs a region on which it relies for oil supplies.
發揮帶頭作用可以讓中國在非洲具有更大的話語權（聯合國目前16個維和任務中，有9個位於非洲），未來某個時間點還有望在中東具有更大話語權。當暴力活動肆虐中國依賴的一個石油供應來源地，北京方面迄今只能沮喪地看着。
“If eventually peacekeeping needs to be dispatched, we might see [UN] soldiers in Syria or Yemen,” said Victor Gao, a commentator on China’s foreign policy. “The US believes Pax Americana is responsible for world stability but we believe the international security order is assured by the UN.”
“如果最終需要派遣維和部隊，我們可能會在敘利亞或也門看到（聯合國）軍人，”中國外交政策評論員高志凱(Victor Gao)表示。“美國認爲世界穩定要歸功於美國治下的和平，但我們相信國際安全秩序是由聯合國保障的。”
China has ploughed money into upgrading its defence technology, investing in fighter jets and ships, while making efforts to recruit tech-savvy graduates as it trims its ranks of uneducated soldiers. But its military remains relatively untested, with no international combat since a border war with Vietnam in 1979.
近年中國投入大量資金升級防務技術，投資研發擴充戰鬥機和軍艦，同時努力招聘掌握科技知識的畢業生，裁減未受過教育的軍人。但中國軍隊仍然相對未經檢驗，自1979年在中越邊境作戰以來未曾投入國際交戰。
Beijing first sent peacekeeping units to a conflict zone in 2013, dispatching troops to Mali. Last year it beefed up its global contribution by sending peacekeepers to guard Chinese-invested oil installations in South Sudan under the UN peacekeeping command. As part of its non-interference policy, China has not participated in US-led actions in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere.
2013年，北京首次派出維和部隊到馬裏的一個衝突地區執行任務。去年，中國加大了對全球維和的貢獻，派出維和部隊到南蘇丹，在聯合國維和指揮下保護該國境內的中資石油設施。作爲其不干涉政策的一部分，中國從未參與美國領導的在阿富汗、伊拉克或其他地方的行動。
In July, two Chinese peacekeepers were killed during fighting between government and rebel forces near South Sudan’s oilfields. China’s defence ministry has denied reports that Chinese troops were disorganised or failed to protect aid workers that were attacked and raped.
7月，在南蘇丹油田附近發生的政府軍和叛軍之間的戰鬥中，兩名中國維和人員被打死。中國國防部否認有關中國維和部隊組織混亂或未能保護遭到襲擊和強姦的援助人員的報道。
A UN report found they had left their posts, and that there was a disorganised chain of command.
聯合國的一份報告發現，此前中國維和人員離開了自己的哨位，而且存在指揮鏈混亂的問題。
China has an opportunity to lead internationally in peacekeeping in part because the US is “lukewarm” in its interest in contributing peacekeeping troops despite footing the largest share of the peacekeeping budget, according to Zhou Bo, honorary fellow at the Center of China-American Defence Relations at the PLA’s Academy of Military Science.
解放軍軍事科學院中美防務關係研究中心特聘研究員周波稱，中國有機會在國際上領導維和行動，部分原因在於美國對於貢獻維和部隊興趣不大，儘管美國爲維和預算作出最大貢獻。
