About China's peacekeeping
Participation in UN peacekeeping operations is one of the ways to ensure the security of the PRC
The military-political leadership of the People’s Republic of China regards participation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations as one of the ways to ensure its security through cooperation at the regional and international level. As part of the UN mandate as part of the peacekeeping force, the Chinese military personnel perform the following main tasks: monitoring the cease-fire; assisting conflicting parties in the implementation of peace agreements; ensuring security in the delivery of humanitarian goods; the organization of the demobilization of former participants in military conflicts and their return to peaceful life; mine clearance; election observation; police training; monitoring human rights.
The PRC official white paper on national defense, published in 2015, sets out the basic principles for China’s participation in UN peacekeeping. It notes that
"To new historical period, the Chinese army should effectively carry out the tasks of protecting peace in the regions and around the world: provide assistance in case of danger; actively expand cooperation in the field of military security. " In addition, it is noted that “in order to fulfill its international obligations, China will support UN peace initiatives, use the rights in the Security Council (SB), deal with the peaceful resolution of conflicts, promote the development, restoration, protection of regional peace and security. Constantly strengthening national power, the armed forces of China will increase the activity of their participation in international peacekeeping events, international assistance, the implementation of the principles of humanism and other areas. "
These provisions were continued in the official document “China’s Policy on Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region”, published in 2017, where the views of the PRC leadership on cooperation with foreign countries, including in the military sphere, are revealed in order to strengthen peace and stability. The document pays special attention to the need to organize interaction with other states in the framework of peacekeeping activities, focuses on enhancing multilateral international cooperation while strengthening peace and stability in “hot spots”.
Chinese military experts note that the country's current approaches to participating in UN peacekeeping take into account Beijing’s traditional position on national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states in accordance with the five principles of peaceful coexistence: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in internal each other’s affairs, equality and mutual benefit, peaceful development. These principles are written into the Constitution of the People's Republic of China in 1982 and became fundamental guidelines for the development of friendly relations with foreign countries.
China’s participation in UN peacekeeping began in 1981, when Beijing supported Security Council resolution No. 4952, which extended the UN peacekeeping mandate in Cyprus. The following year, China participated in the financing of peacekeeping operations.
China - Member of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
Since 1988, the PRC has become a member of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. Chinese military experts note that the beginning of the country's participation in peacekeeping operations is associated with changes in foreign policy after Deng Xiaoping came to power. According to the results of the analysis of peacekeeping activities, the Rules of the implementation of the PLA peacekeeping missions were approved by the decision of the Central Military Council of China from 22.03.2012.
In fact, China began to send its military specialists to participate in peacekeeping operations since 1989. Thus, in accordance with the Constitution and adhering to the principles and provisions of the UN Charter, confirming the legitimacy of military operations abroad, they were part of peacekeeping missions in Africa. According to Western military experts, PLA servicemen took part in UN peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, South Sudan, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, etc. At the same time, they performed the tasks of military observers, electoral observers, military police, participated in repairs roads, bridges, mine clearance, medical care, cargo transportation. It is worth noting that the duration of the contingent's stay in these states did not exceed eight months. In the opinion of the PLA command, the performance of tasks by military personnel under extreme conditions makes it possible to gain experience in combat work.
In December, 2001, a department for peacekeeping activities was formed at the Ministry of Defense of the PRC, whose duties included coordinating the participation of the PLA in UN peacekeeping operations. According to the department, over the 30 years of participation in peacekeeping operations, China sent more than 13 thousand people, including 10 thousand military personnel, 1,4 thousand military observers, 1,6 thousand police officers. Currently, in terms of the number of personnel in the People's Republic of China, 15 is ranked among 114 countries participating in UN peacekeeping operations. Chinese investments in the UN amount to 10 percent of the budget of operations and are second only to American ones: in 2018, the PRC invested more than 192 million in the total budget.
It is worth noting that in September 2015, the PRC Chairman Xi Jinping at the UN peacekeeping summit noted the need to create a contingent of reserve peacekeeping forces of 8 thousand people and prepare 2 thousand peacekeepers. The PRC Chairman also offered to provide free military assistance in the amount of $ 100 million to the African Union. Thanks to these efforts, China in the 2017 year completed the registration of its contingent of reserve peacekeeping forces of a specified strength and trained 1,6 thousand peacekeepers.
In total, according to official UN data, as of 1 in January of 2019, more than 1030 Chinese troops are involved in UN operations: 410 people in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); 395 people in the Multidisciplinary UN Integrated Mission on stabilization in Mali (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA);
365 man in UN operations in Darfur, (United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID); 218 man in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Kongo (MONUSCO); 13 people in the Mission United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO); six people in the United Nations Peacekeeping Contingent in Cyprus (United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), six people in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).
According to Chinese sources, during the participation of the Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China in peacekeeping operations in the host countries, more than 8,7 was repaired and thousands of km of roads, 270 bridge racks, nine thousand anti-personnel mines were neutralized, more than 600 thousand tons of cargo transported, 80 was rendered medical assistance Thousands of civilians.
Training and preparation
The PLA command attaches special importance to the training of military personnel sent abroad. The selection of candidates is carried out on a competitive basis. The focus is on the presence of certain moral and psychological qualities, professional skills in the required specialty, as well as state of health. The competition is about five soldiers in place. The selection of candidates takes into account the results of the tasks, the degree of combat coordination and the moral and psychological climate in the team.
The training of future peacekeepers is carried out in two stages: the first stage is the training center of the peacekeeping forces, the second is the field camp. During the initial training, the focus is on studying the area of forthcoming actions of Chinese peacekeepers, the socio-cultural characteristics of the local population, the history of the conflict situation, the rights and duties of peacekeeping personnel. UN representatives regularly attend training sites for peacekeepers in the PRC, and maintain close cooperation with their Chinese counterparts.
In the view of the UPR of China, Chinese peacekeepers, in addition to directly participating in peacekeeping operations, can also be involved in other tasks related to protecting the interests of China abroad. So, in March 2015, they were involved in the operation to ensure the security of the Chinese diplomatic corps and protect more than 600 Chinese specialists who were evacuated from Yemen. Evacuation was carried out by frigates of the North fleet Navy PLA Lin Y (tail number 547) and Weifang (tail number 550) of Project 054A from the Chinese forces conducting anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, from the Yemeni ports of Aden and Hodeida.
Ship maintenance operations
In accordance with the UN Security Council resolution, since December 2008, China has been continuously sending detachments of PLA Navy ships to the Gulf of Aden and Somalia's territorial waters to escort ships and guard navigation. The crews of the ships include members of the PLA who are actively involved in ship escort operations in order to help strengthen international cooperation and fulfill China’s international obligations.
As of the beginning of 2019, China has sent a total of about 26 squadrons of ships to the Gulf of Aden, which convoying over 6,4 thousands of Chinese and foreign ships, discovered and searched about three thousand suspicious water vehicles. Under these conditions, the PLA servicemen perform the following tasks: disembarking a suspicious vessel; inspection of the upper deck, superstructures and interior spaces; ship release from sea pirates; emergency response and rescue in case of emergency; evacuation of citizens abroad; participation in international exercises, etc. In the area of the Horn of Africa, around 500 of Chinese military personnel were involved in the operation to ensure the safety of international navigation.
Humanitarian assistance
In addition to performing peacekeeping operations, Chinese troops are involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance. Operations are regularly carried out with the involvement of the PLA Navy hospital ships, where the crew and medical personnel perform the tasks of providing medical assistance. For example, in the period from 2016 to 2018, assistance was provided to citizens of Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Brunei, Pakistan, Maldives, India, etc. During the humanitarian operation, more than 30 thousand people received medical care, more than 300 surgical operations were performed .
Western military experts say that at present China is an important partner in peacemaking, since its activities increase the efficiency of UN peacekeeping operations. Analysis of the Chinese media suggests that this fact is due to the following reasons: the economic, political and cultural significance of the country; the ability to influence the decision-making process, including the activity of the PRC on the African continent; the emerging image of China as an advocate for countries lagging behind in its development (the main task of UN peacekeeping operations); a wide range of Chinese interests in the countries of the African continent (three-quarters of Chinese peacekeepers are stationed in Africa, which reflects the priorities of UN peacekeeping).
Thus, Western experts highly appreciate the qualifications of Chinese peacekeepers and confirm that their participation significantly improves the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN. On the other hand, China’s participation in such operations is one of the tools for creating a positive image of the Chinese state in the eyes of the world community. In addition, peacekeeping activities provide Chinese military personnel with the opportunity to improve their skills and skills, to borrow the work of foreign partners, to train in “operations outside the conditions of war”, and also to gain experience of participation in military and humanitarian operations.
Information