China’s peace efforts lauded

UN: Beijing is largest contributor in terms of military personnel

During an exhibition at the UN headquarters showcasing China’s contributions in safeguarding world peace, Atul Khare, UN undersecretary-general for field support, joined other UN officials in applauding China’s achievements and commitment to peacekeeping.

Khare said in terms of military personnel, China is “the largest contributor amongst permanent members of the Security Council”.

The country has deployed more than 39,000 military peacekeepers, said Ma Zhaoxu, China’s permanent representative to the UN, during the opening ceremony of the exhibition CPLA – A Force for World Peace.

The People’s Liberation Army has participated in 24 peacekeeping missions in the past three decades.

Chinese peacekeepers also have contributed significant amounts of infrastructure and support systems, including 13,000km of roads in areas where they have been assigned, medical treatment for more than 170,000 patients and more than 300 armed escorts and patrols.

The Chinese Navy has regularly deployed vessels in the Gulf of Aden for escort missions since late 2008, and as of December 2018, they had provided protection for more than 6,600 Chinese and foreign vessels, according to the exhibition.

“We are absolutely delighted that China has been willing to not only provide troops to peacekeeping operations but to provide troops that are so well trained and equipped,” said Hugh Van Roosen, deputy military adviser at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

“These individuals that I have the opportunity to work with have been highly educated, highly motivated and highly capable,” Van Roosen said.

“They are truly individuals who can be relied upon for us to deliver the best work and keep the peacekeeping operations smooth,” he added. China is also the second-largest financial contributor to peacekeeping projects after the United States, Khare said.

One of the UN’s concerns is that peacekeepers are targeted by terrorist groups in some areas, said Carlos Humberto Loitey, military adviser with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The joint efforts of China and other countries are enhancing the protection of bases used by the UN.

In 2016, China and the UN signed an agreement to contribute US$200mil to the UN in the following decade. China’s contribution to the trust fund has been critical for the development and improvement of UN peacekeeping and the reduction of peacekeeping fatalities, Khare said.