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China, Britain Hold Seminar on UN Peacekeeping
China and Britain Monday opened a joint seminar in Beijing on UN peacekeeping operations aimed at increasing cooperation between the two permanent UN Security Council members.
The two-day seminar, opened by Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon, will focus on the principles and practicalities of peacekeeping, British officials said.
"The international situation on the whole is moving towards relaxation, but the world is not tranquil as witnessed by incessant regional and intra-national conflicts and acts of power politics," Tang said.
"China attaches importance to and supports UN peacekeeping efforts," he said.
But during UN peacekeeping operations the UN Charter should be respected, the causes of the operations should be clearly defined and all members of the peacekeeping force were "duty bound" to maintain the authority of the UN, he said.
"To stage military operations in a sovereign state under the pretext of humanitarian assistance ... is extremely dangerous and should be resolutely opposed," Tang said in apparent reference to last year's NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
Tang futher called for more political and legal guidelines for UN peacekeeping operations.
Hoon said that UN peacekeeping was becoming a more complex task with civil policing and administration becoming increasingly important to the basic military tasks of a peacekeeping force.
"We need robust peacekeeping principles as well as a mechanism to cope with today's complex problems," he said.
The seminar is expected to touch upon Chinese sensitivities to the use of military intervention in humanitarian crises and well as increasing China's role in UN peacekeeping operations, British officials said.
Prior to the opening of the seminar, Tang and Hoon held bilateral talks. Hoon will also hold talks Monday evening with Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian and speak at China's National Defense University Tuesday.
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