Thirty officials from South Sudan’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management are attending a 14-day seminar run by experts from China’s Hunan International Business Vocational College. The program, launched in Juba this month, covers crisis management for floods, droughts, inter-communal conflicts, and disease outbreaks—recurring threats in a nation struggling to stabilize after years of war.

Huo Ying, charge d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, said the initiative aims to strengthen local capacity to handle disasters independently, framing it as a contribution to national stability. Unlike China’s high-profile investments in oil and infrastructure, the training is low-key and avoids publicity campaigns, reflecting Beijing’s preference for practical, targeted assistance.

The effort comes as the U.S. retreats from its role as the most significant financial backer of UN peacekeeping. Washington has already canceled $4.9 billion in foreign aid under former President Donald Trump, including $800 million earmarked for peacekeeping, and has proposed eliminating such funding by 2026. The U.S. contributes 27% of the UN’s $5.6 billion peacekeeping budget, and cuts have deepened the organization’s liquidity crisis.

South Sudan hosts one of the UN’s largest peacekeeping missions, with more than 14,000 personnel tasked with protecting civilians and securing humanitarian access. Budget shortfalls risk reducing patrols and limiting shelter for displaced people, which could raise fears of renewed instability. China, already the UN’s second-largest peacekeeping contributor, has deployed more than 2,000 troops across missions, including engineers and medical staff in South Sudan.

The seminar marks a shift toward building human capital to complement financial and military contributions. By equipping local officials to handle crises such as floods or tribal violence, Beijing may reduce reliance on UN operations stretched thin by U.S. retrenchment. China has invested heavily in South Sudan since the early 2000s, primarily in the oil and infrastructure sectors. The training program expands its reach into governance and disaster management, aligning with its broader Belt and Road Initiative and soft power strategy in Africa.

In the longer term, the approach could provide a template for Beijing to expand its influence where U.S. funding retreats. Replicating such programs in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo—another primary UN mission site—would further position China as a stabilizing partner in regions critical to global supply chains.

Yet challenges remain. South Sudan’s political divisions and weak governance could limit the impact of training without deeper reforms. And in the context of U.S.-China rivalry, Beijing’s role in peacekeeping may draw scrutiny as much as praise. Still, the seminar underscores a shifting balance in global peacekeeping. As Washington pares back, China is quietly stepping in—through training rooms as well as troop deployments—to shape the future of crisis response in Africa.

Idriss Linge