Chinese Peacekeepers in action

　　Qin Huasun, former Chinese ambassador to the United Nations, expressed China's support for the UN peacekeeping operations at a seminar held in France on the improvement of UN peacekeeping operations in African countries.

　　Qin said that the United Nations peacekeeping operations had experienced unprecedented development, as was evidenced by the enlargements of the UN missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. UN peacekeepers have contributed a lot to easing and resolving regional tensions, and have thus won acclaims from the intentional community.

　　He pointed out that China had always attached importance to the UN peacekeeping operations, supported the UN's work in the area in accordance with the UN Charter. 　　

　　In recent years, China had actively participated in the UN peacekeeping operations and dispatched over 1,500 person/times to the UN missions in such areas as the Middle East, Iraq-Kuwait border, Western Sahara, Ethiopia-Eritrea border, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Liberia, Cambodia, East Timor, Bosnia Herzegovina. 　　

　　He stressed that it had become clear that adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and norms governing intentional relations, especially the principles of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in member states' internal affairs, is the important basis for successful peacekeeping operations.

　　 Qin said that no matter in what way was the UN involved in conflicts, all its actions should help maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country concerned. The actions should reflect the collective will of the people of the country concerned and abide by the principles of impartiality. The peacekeepers should use force only in self-defense or with the prior consent of all parties concerned, he said. 　　

　　China, he said, appreciated the contributions by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the course of peacekeeping in Africa. 　　

　　China had all along attached importance to African issues and supported the relevant organizations and countries in their efforts to independently resolve conflicts in the region, he said. 　　

　　Qin promised that as a permanent member of the Security Council, China would continue to urge the council to devote more time to discussing African issues and maintaining the region's peace and stability. He said the intrinsic link between peace and development, the two main themes of today's world, had been widely recognized by the international community, and if the root cause was not eliminated, sooner or later the conflicts would resurface. 　　

　　He pointed out that the UN should work to eliminate the root cause of the conflicts and help developing countries, especially the African countries, to get rid of poverty and backwardness. This, and only this, would guarantee genuine lasting peace in the world.