UN official praises Chinese peacekeepers' performance

UNITED NATIONS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A UN peacekeeping official lauded Chinese peacekeepers' "very strong commitment and discipline" at a reception to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

"In terms of competency and capacity ... Chinese peacekeepers receive good training, which is important for what peacekeepers are able to do in peacekeeping missions," Brigadier General Jean Baillaud, chief of staff of the Office of Military Affairs at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said Thursday.

"They show very strong commitment and also very strong discipline," Baillaud said at the New York residence of the Permanent Mission of China to the UN.

He said Chinese peacekeeping missions were important in quantity and quality. As an example, Baillaud recalled he was impressed by the quick deployment of Chinese military observers in the Syrian capital, Damascus, several months ago for the establishment of a supervision mission.

Chinese peacekeepers were regarded by the local population as "an asset" because they provided support in engineering, building roads, providing medical services and transport, which were vital for these missions, he said.