Spotlight: China's peacekeeping contribution to UN missions in Africa shows growing sense of responsibility

Recent years have witnessed China's growing contribution to UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, a move which is widely acclaimed as showing a growing sense of responsibility for preserving peace in the promising and fast developing continent.

Two days ago, 395 Chinese peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were decorated with UN medals for their peacekeeping contribution.

The 2nd Chinese peacekeeping force to Mali includes engineers, medical staff and security guards, who are tasked with repairing roads and bridges, airport runways and facilities at camps safeguarding the security of mission headquarters, as well as providing medical treatment and epidemic prevention.

MINUSMA's head of office Francisco Osler said at the ceremony the Chinese peacekeepers have played an important role in the peace process in Mali, and they have been professional and enthusiastic in their jobs.

China is now the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, with more than 2,000 Chinese peacekeepers currently posted in conflict zones across the world, among them over 1,800 in Africa.

China has taken part in at least 16 UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. Chinese peacekeepers are seen in Mali, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan, etc. Since 2008, the Chinese navy has undertaken escorting missions in Gulf of Aden, as part of contribution to UN's anti-piracy operations.

In a historic move, China announced in December 2014 that it would send its first infantry battalion to South Sudan to participate in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in 2015. Previous Chinese peacekeepers were mainly engineering, transportation, medical service and security guard corps.

Kuang Weilin, head of China's permanent mission to the African Union (AU), told Xinhua in a recent interview that a security department will be established under the mission as part of efforts to help keep peace across the continent.

Kuang said the organ is tasked with strengthening communication and contributing to AU's endeavor to ensure peace and security.

Chinese peacekeepers also stood as a shield in the frontline of a battle against the deadly Ebola virus ravaging the West African countries since March 2014. A 140-member contingent of Chinese peacekeepers was deployed in Liberia to protect UN staff, civilians and essential facilities like airport, which enable doctors and aid workers to ferry in supplies.

The Chinese peacekeepers established a medical center with two doctors and five nurses in the wake of the Ebola outbreak, alleviating the pressure on the local government.

Peacekeepers in Liberia also engage in environment protection, monitoring and keeping local bird species safe, even picking up snakes inside the UN compound and letting them go alive outside.

During their spare time, the peacekeepers have been working to build a football field for the base, as well as a track for running, and are also making a shooting range.

China's contributions to peace-building cause in parts of Africa made by the Chinese peacekeeping troops are obvious to all, showing China is not only a reliable development partner of Africa, but also a sincere guarder of peace in the continent. Endi