the case of being under attack. When participating in UN-led peacekeeping oper-
ations, China highly respects the leading role of the UN Security Council and
emphasizes observance of the Charter of the United Nations. In addition, though
China stresses the importance of the peacekeeping operation as the means for
safeguarding international peace and security, China also believes that this is not the
only means, and that the fundamental solution lies in getting rid of the sources of
conflicts. Unlike China, the EU has made contributions to UN peacekeeping
operations in various ways in practice; however, in general, EU member states are
still unwilling to send their personnel to participate in UN-led peacekeeping
operations and are more willing to get involved in peacekeeping operations
authorized by the UN but led by the EU. As for the principles of peacekeeping, the
EU practices the so-called“second-generation peacekeeping operation” mode
which has the following characteristics: the peacekeeping operation is not neces-
sarily subject to approval by all the parties involved in the conflicts, and autho-
rization can be obtained to use force in the peacekeeping operation in order to
accomplish the peacekeeping task.^10
5.2.2 Nuclear Non-proliferation and Sanctions Against UN
Member Countries
Both China and the EU believe that nuclear proliferation is becoming an increas-
ingly severe threat to international peace and security and agree to cooperate in this
field.^11 Both sides have reached some consensus on how to cope with nuclear
proliferation issues; for example, nuclear proliferation issues should be addressed
through political and diplomatic means and international cooperation within the
framework of international law. China and the EU have also determined to
strengthen their cooperation in preventing nuclear proliferation, including rein-
forcing the UN’s role and carrying out consultations and coordination on how to
improve international nuclear proliferation prevention mechanisms.
Both China and the EU have played important roles in preventing nuclear
proliferation. For example, the EU attempted to address the Iranian nuclear issue
under the E3 mode (consisting of representatives from Germany, France and the
UK); the EU’s suggestions and policies concerning Iranian nuclear issues have been
widely adopted by the UN Security Council and have been supported by the
non-European permanent members of the UN Security Council (including China).
For example, on January 12, 2006, the EU made thefirst public declaration that it
had decided to immediately submit the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security
Council. China and other non-European permanent members of the UN Security
(^10) Geeraerts et al. ( 2007 ).
(^11) “Joint Declaration of the People’s Republic of China and the European Union on
Non-proliferation and Arms Control”, 9 December 2004.
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