By Mei Changwei

BEIJING, Apr. 30 -- The Peacekeeping Affairs Center under China’s Ministry of National Defense and the Training Division of the UN Department of Peace Operations jointly held an online peacekeeping experience exchange meeting on April 29. Experts had in-depth exchanges on topics including difficulties and challenges in conducting peacekeeping training, improving training effectiveness, and supporting UN peacekeeping operations.

UN peacekeeping operations are an important means of maintaining international peace and security. The Chinese military and police have participated in nearly 30 UN peacekeeping operations and dispatched more than 50,000 peacekeepers. At present, more than 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are performing tasks in the UN headquarters and eight mission areas. China has become the second-largest contributor to both peacekeeping assessment and UN membership fees, and the largest troop-contributing country (TCC) among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. China is hailed by the UN as a "key force in peacekeeping operations."

In March 2020, the UN Security Council passed the first resolution (Resolution 2518) on strengthening the security of peacekeepers promoted by China. The Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers was established at the UN Headquarters in New York on April 27 of 2021, with China as its co-chair.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China’s lawful seat at the United Nations, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. China will host a series of commemorative activities in the fields of peacekeeping operations, economic development, social and humanities, poverty alleviation and poverty reduction, and ecological environment, in order to showcase China's actual actions in upholding the international system built around the UN and safeguarding the international order underpinned by international law.