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China Supports UN's Peacekeeping Efforts
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said in Beijing at Thursday's press conference that as a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China attaches great importance to the UN's peacekeeping efforts and has made due efforts to support the UN in this regard.
Zhu made the remarks in response to a journalist's question on the UN's peacekeeping efforts, a topic covered at the recent consultations in Shanghai hosted by the director-general of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of China 's Foreign Ministry as well as his counterparts of the other four UN permanent member states, which include France, Russia, UK and US.
Peacekeeping is one of the most important activities of the UN in maintaining international peace and security, Zhu said, adding that the UN's leading role in this respect is irreplaceable.
He said that to ensure the UN's peacekeeping efforts run smoothly, it is necessary to "comply with the basic principles of the UN Charter and conventions of international relations," and more importantly, to "respect the sovereignty of relevant states, without interfering in their internal affairs and with their prior approval."
He also noted the principles of neutrality and the non- commitment to force except for self-defense.
"These principles will remain the fundamental codes that should be observed closely in the UN's peacekeeping efforts in the future, " Zhu said.
He said in the 1990s, China sent about 500 military observers to support the UN's peacekeeping efforts, and a group of 800 people were dispatched on peacekeeping mission in Cambodia alone.
Last year, China sent 55 policemen to East Timor, and last Thursday, the Chinese government sent five policemen on a peacekeeping mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said.
"China is willing to continue making contributions to the peacekeeping efforts of the UN," Zhu concluded.
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