In April 1990, China sent five military observers to the UN Truce Supervision Organization, beginning the country’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
Over the next 25 years, Chinese armed forces actively took part in UN peacekeeping operations, fulfilling a solemn duty to safeguard peace. Chinese peacekeepers have been seen in missions in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan and Lebanon, braving the risks of war, disease and extreme heat.
Here are some key statistics from the Office of Peacekeeping Affairs under China’s Ministry of National Defense (MOD):
30,178 Chinese have worked in peacekeeping operations, of whom 10 have died in the line of duty;
They have built more than 11,000 kilometers of roads and 300 bridges;
They have cleared more than 9,400 mines and various types of unexploded ordnance;
They have offered medical treatment to more than 149,000 patients;
They have delivered 1.1 million tonnes of supplies and equipment across a total of 12 million kilometers, or 300 times of length of the Equator.
Over the past 25 years, Chinese peacekeepers have demonstrated the peace-loving nature of China and its active participation in the UN affairs as a responsible big country. They also showed their determination to safeguard peace.
Key Force For World Peace
"China has always advocated peace, especially in modern times. With a history of war, the Chinese people know the value of peace, so we are more determined to maintain world peace," said Li Tiantian, director of the MOD Office of Peacekeeping Affairs.
Over the past 25 years, with the rise of the China's international status, China's armed forces have made historic leaps in deploying peacekeepers, expanding the number and types of troops.
-- Destinations: from the first mission in the Middle East to 11 simultaneous missions at the peak;
-- Troop Types: from specialist engineer units to various mixed engineer, transport, medical, security and infantry units. In 2013, China’s first peacekeeping security team was deployed to Mali and in 2015 its first peacekeeping infantry battalion went to South Sudan.
-- Scale: from the first five military observers to 2,720 military peacekeepers. China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
-- Financial Contribution: China's contribution to peacekeeping funds stands at the sixth among UN member states, and first among developing countries.
As China’s dedication to UN peacekeeping operations increases in both depth and scale, the country is developing a weightier role in the initiative. So far, China has participated in 24 peacekeeping missions. Of the 16 current missions, Chinese forces are taking part in nine.
"It shows China's emphasis on maintaining international peace and security, as well as China’s responsibility as a big country," said Li Tiantian.
