China has been participating in UN peacekeeping operations, mainly in Africa, since the 1990s. And it continues to contribute more to it.
Intensive training for the upcoming mission to Africa….
An infantry battalion of 700-strong will leave for South Sudan for a one-year posting in December, and 225 military engineers for the Darfur region.
“I hope all of us will work harder to complete the mission, to bring African people hope and peace, and a better life,” said Wang Bo, UN peacekeeper.
China’s peacekeeping missions in Africa started in 1991.
Nearly thirty thousand Chinese soldiers have so far served in 16 UN missions in Africa.
Chinese peacekeepers mainly took up engineering, transport, medical aid, and security guard positions in the past. But since this year, China started deploying infantry battalions which protect civilians, UN staff, and humanitarian workers, and perform patrol and security duties.
The work of Chinese peacekeepers have been welcomed by locals.
“Thanks very much the Chinese peacekeepers for dispatching equipment and manpower to us to improve our environment. They provided us with a lot of help, and I hope they’ll be able to come to our camp more often,” said Mohammed Umdah, Darfur.
“We were forced to leave our home. There was a lack of food, medical care, and poor sanitary conditions… The Chinese peacekeepers help a lot, and we really appreciate it, and hope they could stay longer until the war ends, until when we can go home,” said Pieter Robert, South Sudan.
China has pledged to continue participating in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.
At the 70 anniversary peacekeeping summit held in the UN headquarters, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced China would not only contribute 8,000 troops for a UN peacekeeping standby force, but also provide one hundred million US dollars in military assistance to the African Union in the next five years.