China attaches great importance to the situation in Central African Republic (CAR) and welcomes Security Council Resolution 2149, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman here on Friday.

Hong Lei, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular press conference.

The Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to send 12,000 UN peacekeepers to the CAR, where violence between Christians and Muslims has triggered fears of genocide.

The Council also decided that the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA), currently deployed in the country to help restore order, will transfer its authority to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on Sept. 15, 2014.

"China hopes that the peacekeeping mission will play a positive role in mitigating and stabilizing the situation in CAR," said Hong.

He also called on the international community to continue its logistical support for MISCA, and help it to transfer smoothly to MINUSCA.

The crisis, which began in December 2012, has left thousands of people dead, and 2.2 million, about half the CAR population, in need of humanitarian aid. There has been a recent escalation in fighting in the CAR capital, Bangui, between Christians and Muslims.

In December 2013, the Security Council authorized the deployment of 2,000 French soldiers and 6,000 African soldiers to help restore order in the capital.

In early March, Ban proposed deployment of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping force to protect civilians.