China’s rise increasingly covers military activities of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the global stage. Beijing’s traditional principle of non-intervention seems to be interpreted more flexibly and the presence of Chinese troops in conflict regions of Africa and the Middle East expands. This thesis presents a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) combined with process tracing on drivers underlying China’s decision (not) to intervene in areas of conflict in Africa and the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. In this regard, the study also considers a connection to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The inquiry shows that Chinese efforts in military diplomacy are largely concentrated on UN Peacekeeping missions. Beijing has been focussing on well-established international structures to promote a soft image of China as guarantor of peace and stability. With the help of an additional analysis of 300 UN Security Council Resolutions, this study finds evidence about changes in the design of UN peacekeeping missions over the last two decades. A Chinese “roadmap for peace” with particular characteristics is reflected in a new weighting of priorities in multilateral military diplomacy. To understand the  implications of Beijing’s quest for an indispensable position in the global balance of power, traditional theoretical explanatory approaches need to be expanded. In the framework of foreign policy analysis, this study contributes to a better understanding of the PRC’s evolving role in international conflict resolution.