The spokesperson of the Chinese Armed Forces said on Thursday that the People’s Liberation Army of China has become an important part and an important force in UN peacekeeping operations, and will further contribute to peace. and global development.
Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query related to the PLA’s relevant contributions, as Wednesday marked the 22nd International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Noting that China upholds peace and honors its commitment with real actions, Wu said China has actively participated in UN peacekeeping operations and is the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
In recent years, the PLA has built an 8,000-strong peacekeeping standby force and has deployed over 50,000 peacekeepers to over 20 countries and regions, Wu said.
The spokesperson added that currently, over 1,700 PLA peacekeepers are performing their duties in six mission areas, including South Sudan and Lebanon, contributing to world peace and common development.
China’s armed forces in April 1990 dispatched five military observers to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and has since then become a participant in UN peacekeeping operations.
It was reported in the mid 2023 that, Over the past three decades, China has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to participate in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) in more than 20 countries and regions, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.
She made the remarks at the regular press conference when she was asked about China’s participation in the UN peacekeeping missions, as May 29, 2023 marked the 21st International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
The UN had conducted over 70 missions over the past seven decades or so, making outstanding contributions to safeguarding regional peace and assisting in the resolution of regional conflicts, Mao said, adding the Blue Helmets had become a symbol of peace and hope.
She noted that China sent military observers to the UN in 1990, which marked the beginning of its participation in UNPKOs, and in 1992, it dispatched its first formed military unit of Blue Helmets to participate in UNPKOs.
China was the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments and the largest troop contributor to peacekeeping operations among the five permanent members of the Security Council, she said.
At present more than 2,200 Chinese officers were working in eight peacekeeping mission areas and Chinese Blue Helmets had become a key force in the UN’s peacekeeping efforts, she added.
The spokesperson said the Chinese peacekeepers adhered to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, acted in strict accordance with their mandate, and faithfully fulfilled peacekeeping missions, making important contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
Noting the current international security situation is complicated and grave, she stressed that the role and significance of UNPKOs had become more prominent. And “China will continue to work in close cooperation with the international community to increase the efficacy and efficiency of UNPKOs so that they can play a bigger role in safeguarding international peace and security,” Mao said.
