Over the past three decades, China has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to participate in United Nation peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs) in more than 20 countries and regions, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press conference when she was asked about China's participation in UN peacekeeping missions, as May 29, 2023 marked the 21st International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

The UN has conducted over 70 missions over the past seven decades or so, making outstanding contributions to safeguarding regional peace and assisting in the resolution of regional conflicts, Mao said, adding the Blue Helmets have become a symbol of peace and hope.

She noted that China sent military observers to the UN in 1990, which marked the beginning of its participation in UNPKOs, and in 1992, it dispatched its first formed military unit of Blue Helmets to participate in UNPKOs.

China is the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments and the largest troop contributor to peacekeeping operations among the five permanent members of the Security Council, she said.

At present more than 2,200 Chinese officers are working in eight peacekeeping mission areas and Chinese Blue Helmets have become a key force in the UN's peacekeeping efforts, she added.

She said that Chinese peacekeepers adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, act in strict accordance with their mandate, and faithfully fulfill peacekeeping missions, making important contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

Noting the current international security situation is complicated and grave, she stressed that the role and significance of UNPKOs have become more prominent. And "China will continue to work in close cooperation with the international community to increase the efficacy and efficiency of UNPKOs so that they can play a bigger role in safeguarding international peace and security," Mao said.

(Cover: A view of Chinese Foreign Ministry. /CFP)