This Day, That Year

Since joining United Nations peacekeeping operations in 1990, China has dispatched more than 36,000 personnel.

In April 1992, it sent its first company of engineers to Cambodia, as reported in an item that month in China Daily.

This year marks the 28th anniversary of the country’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

China has become “an important force in safeguarding world peace”, said Li Xiuhua, deputy director of peacekeeping affairs at the Ministry of National Defense.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China sent most of the troops on UN peacekeeping missions and provided major funding for operations.

President Xi Jinping said at the UN Peacekeeping Summit in September 2015 that China would establish a

10-year $1 billion peace and development fund to support the UN’s work.

He added the country will help train 2,000 peacekeepers from other countries and launch 10 assistance programs to identify land mines before 2020.

In September, the ministry announced that China had registered an 8,000-strong standby peacekeeping force with the UN. The force will play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and regional stability.

Troops from China’s Ground Force, Navy, Air Force and Logistics Force will undertake tasks such as combat readiness training and disaster relief in China before any missions overseas.