China pledges continuous participation in UN peacekeeping

China pledged to continue its participation in UN peacekeeping operations as its percentage of shared 2016 UN peacekeeping budget climbed from the sixth to the second place.

"China will continue to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, fulfill its due financial obligations in accordance with the payment capability principle established by the UN, pay its due payment of UN peacekeeping operation, and make contributions to world peace and security," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday during a daily press briefing.

China is now the second largest contributor, according to the UN.

At a peacekeeping summit held in the UN headquarters on Sept. 28, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will take the lead to set up a permanent peacekeeping unit and will build a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops.

China is also to actively consider the UN's request of sending more engineering, transportation and medical personnel to join peacekeeping missions. The country will train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers and carry out 10 mine-sweeping assistance programs in the next five years.

This shows China's responsibility and commitment to safeguard world peace, Hua said.

As a permanent member of the Security Council, China actively participates in UN peacekeeping operations, and has become a major troop and donation provider, she said. Endi