PLA on display at the UN
Major General Huang Xueping, head of the Military Staff Committee of China's Permanent Mission to the UN, speaks at opening ceremony of photo exhibition at the UN called Journey of Glory to mark the PLA's 90th anniversary. |
Zouev said that in 2016-2017, China was the second-largest contributor to the peacekeeping assessed budget (after the US), contributing 10.29 percent of the total of $7.87 billion.
China also ranks today 12th among 127 member states in providing troops and police to UN peacekeeping operations. China currently has more than 2,500 military and police personnel deployed in nine peacekeeping missions.
"I would like to commend Chinese peacekeepers for their high performance, discipline and operational efficiency during their service in UN peacekeeping operations," Zouev said.
Zouev said at the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping in New York in 2015, that President Xi Jinping pledged a standby peacekeeping force of 8,000 and, at the follow-up UN Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial in September 2016 in London, China joined five other countries in pledging units deployable within 60 days.
"DPKO is very grateful for China's increased contribution and continued support to UN peacekeeping," Zouev said.
"The PLA progresses with the growth of the new China. The development and prosperity of China provides formidable strength for the PLA," said Huang.
"Only a prosperous country can make possible a strong army, and the dream of having a strong army derives from the dream of building a strong country," said Huang.
xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com