"A group of oriental soldiers, with five stars embroidered on the left sleeve, who travel 30,000 miles to Liberia for the aim of peace." This comes from a piece written by Zhang Guangqin, performing a peacekeeping mission in Tchien of Liberia.

From 1990, China began to send military observers to the United Nations on peacekeeping missions. In the past 20 years, China has sent more than 14,000 military personnel, police officers and civil affairs officials to take part in 24 UN peacekeeping actions. Now, more than 2,100 Chinese military, police and civil affairs personnel are serving in 10 mission areas of Darfur in the Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

"China, OK!"

"As peacekeeping servicemen, we should do our best to show the rest of the world that China is a responsible nation," said Zhang Yong on November 12, 2009, as he was receiving a China-Africa Friendship Award. In Sudan, he had many times led a medical team in treating local patients, providing them with medicine, doing voluntary work in civilian hospitals, and providing technical aid and free medical services. He organized Chinese peacekeeping personnel for cleaning work in girls' middle schools, improving the campus environment and providing the students with stationery and sports equipment. They also set up volleyball courts. School Principal Mohammed Adam was moved to say: "We are going to write down Mr. Zhang and other Chinese peacekeeping army members' names in the school's history, so that generation after generation will remember China and the friendship between Sudan and China."

"This is a war-torn place, a city that suddenly fills you with sadness. However, it's great to see that people, old and young, along the streets shout 'China, China' with a smile whenever they see us and give us a thumbs up," Gao Wei, a member of China's peacekeeping medical team, wrote in his diary after arriving in Tchien, Liberia in 2009. On November 14 that year, at the request of the Liberian Government, more than 30 members of China's peacekeeping engineering corps, despite high temperatures of 40 and adverse working conditions, worked solidly for eight hours to repair a damaged section of the main street in Tchien. Residents passing by all gave them a thumbs up. Of the six peacekeeping engineering corps in Liberia, the Chinese were assigned the most difficult task but the road they repaired is in the best condition.

In Lebanon, at the request of local military officers, a peacekeeping engineering corps from China helped to clear away cluster bombs. Their outstanding work won praise from local military officers and the local people. "China, OK!" They were also awarded qualification certificates from the UN landmine action coordination center in Lebanon, the first Chinese army team to receive this kind of certificate.

"Thank China"

On international peacekeeping occasions, China's peacekeeping forces also act as cultural ambassadors. In Sudan, soldiers habitually exhibit red lanterns, Chinese knots, the Four Great Inventions, and the Four Treasures of the Study in their camp. Meanwhile, they play videos showing Chinese customs and also the achievements of reform and opening up during China's National Day festivities, the Chinese Spring Festival, the Beijing Olympics and medal ceremonies.

China's ninth peacekeeping engineering unit in Zwedru maintains cultural exchanges with UN forces from India, Bengal, Pakistan, and Ethiopia. By presenting souvenirs and, hosting cultural evening parties and sports competitions, they promote China's military and strengthen international relations as well.

Recently, the B-level hospital of the Chinese peacekeeping force in Lebanon received a special gift from a local mission school - 15 drawings depicting Chinese surgeons that had been collectively painted by 125 children under the age of five. Sister Rita, the president of the school, said the theme of their painting and calligraphy was to show their appreciation of China.

It is reported that China's military achievement since joining UN peacekeeping operations has been brilliant. Statistics show the peacekeepers have newly built and renewed more than 8,000 kilometers of highway and 200 bridges, cleared 8,700 mines and explosives, transported 430,000 tons of material in a total distance of 7 million kilometers, and treated more than 60,000 patients.

A member of the Central Military Committee and Chief of Staff Chen Bingde said that China's peacekeeping forces are continuously improving and their role in UN operations is becoming increasingly important, with the upgrade of China's comprehensive national strength and its military build-up.

Extended reading

In 1988, China became a member of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. This was the start of China's participation in peacekeeping operations. For the first time, China sent military observers to the Middle East in 1990. In 1992, the first of China's official peacekeeping forces were sent to an operation in Cambodia. In 2001, China took part in stand-by UN peacekeeping. In January 2002, China formally took part in UN Class-A standby arrangements. In 2003, the first group with 175 peacekeepers was sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2004, three groups of a total number of 558 Chinese soldiers were sent to Liberia. This was the largest operation in China's peacekeeping history in the United Nations.