On States` Status-Quo and Revisionist Dispositions: Discerning Power, Popularity and Satisfaction from Security Council Vetoes

Abstract

China s rise has raised concerns about its revisionist intention. Will it challenge the existing international order? But then who represents this international order and can speak authoritatively f or it? I argue that the United Nations Security Council represents the most appropriate institutional voice for this order. More specifically, the voting record of the U.N. Security Council offers pertinent information about the extent to which China’s views and preferences are congruent with the majority in this body. A veto by a permanent member indicates its willingness to defy this majority. According to this indicator, China is no more outside the international community than the U. S. More generally, this paper critiques the idea of revisionism in the discourse on China s rise. Instead of pursuing this slippery and even vacuous concept, it would be more fruitful to inquire how closely a country’s policy positions are aligned with those of most others and how willing it is to defer to these others.