The Ministry of Defense of China has released a white paper on the participation of the country’s armed forces in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.
The white paper, titled “China’s Armed Forces: 30 Years of UN Peacekeeping Operations,” was released by the State Council Information Office.
Serving on the UN missions for world peace, China’s armed forces have become a key force in UN peacekeeping operations over the past three decades, says the document.
Chinese peacekeepers have left their footprints in over 20 countries and regions including Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, South Sudan, Mali and the Central African Republic.
They have made a tremendous contribution to facilitating the peaceful settlement of disputes, safeguarding regional security and stability, and promoting economic and social development in host nations, the document says.
China has faithfully implemented the pledges it announced at a UN Summit to support UN peacekeeping through actions including setting up a peacekeeping standby force, sending more enabler troops to UN peacekeeping operations, helping train foreign peacekeepers and providing military aid gratis to the African Union, it says.
China’s armed forces have also cooperated on peacekeeping with over 90 countries and 10 international and regional organizations, it says.
Contributing to building a community with a shared future for humanity, China will continue to play its part as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and firmly support and participate in the UN peacekeeping operations, according to the white paper.
China’s armed forces are committed to strengthening bilateral and multilateral
communication for better understanding and mutual trust.
They have carried out active peacekeeping cooperation with the militaries of countries including
Russia, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, France, Germany, the UK,
and the US.
Through reciprocal visits, China’s armed forces and their foreign
counterparts have strengthened communication on policies, made cooperation plans, and advanced friendly state-to-state and military-to-military relations.
In May 2010, the first China-US consultation on the UNPKOs was held in Beijing.
In April 2015, the defense ministers of China and Vietnam signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) on peacekeeping cooperation between
the two ministries in Beijing.
That same year, China conducted the first BRICS consultation on the UNPKOs with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
In February 2017, the first China-UK dialogue on peacekeeping operations was
held in the UK.
In April 2018, military advisers of Russia, France, the UK and the US to the UN Military Staff Committee visited China and exchanged extensive views on the UNPKOs with the Chinese side. In May, the defense ministries of China and Pakistan signed a protocol on policy collaboration with regard to the UNPKOs. In October, the German defense minister visited the Training Base of the Peacekeeping Affairs Center of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND), and a peacekeeping delegation from the Chinese MND visited the German Armed Forces United Nations Training Centre.
The document also includes a timeline of Chinese armed forces’ activities in the UN peacekeeping operations.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com/ Sheila Satori Mensa
