SCIO briefing on white paper 'China's Armed Forces: 30 Years of UN Peacekeeping Operations'
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 23, 2020
China Daily:
A certain foreign research institute said China's peacekeeping troops were the most professional, well-trained, and most disciplined force. At the same time, we noticed that a recent TV documentary entitled "In the Course of Peace" focused on peacekeeping troops. How are China's peacekeeping troops trained? What is the secret behind their success? Thank you.
Pan Qinghua:
The Chinese army has an open secret, which is the political work. This is the major source of the professional ability of Chinese troops, and also the biggest feature and greatest superiority they possess. No matter what tasks Chinese troops are asked to perform and in whatever environment, the political work will always help them strengthen their ideals and beliefs and be united with strong morale, implementing strict discipline; it enables us to cultivate soldiers to fight against hardship and face death bravely. All this provides a strong ideological and political guarantee for the troops to effectively fulfill their missions.
China's peacekeeping troops have creatively carried out political work by facing the harshest environments, heaviest tasks, security threats, life or death situations in participating UNPKO. We have guided soldiers to safeguard the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, strictly implement U.N. guidelines and disciplinary requirements, strictly abide by the laws and regulations of the host country, respect the ethnic, religious and cultural norms of the people in the host country, and provide public services including protection, medical rescue, road and bridge construction, transportation support, agricultural planting, and improvement of living standards. For example, the Chinese medical team sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo teamed up with SOS Children's Village in the city of Bukavu to help children receive a proper education and ability to cope with life's challenges. Meanwhile, Chinese female soldiers were called "Chinese mothers" by the children for care shown. The action of love has been going on for 17 years, wining a great reputation among local people.
Over the past 30 years, Chinese troops have participated in 25 UNPKOs involving more than 40,000 personnel to perform various activities. There is no war in China, but Chinese soldiers have sacrificed their lives on occasions for a wider cause. So far, 16 Chinese soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace. Their names are recorded in the white paper on page 39, forming a historical monument. China commemorated and paid tribute to the heroes in a solemn way. No matter which country they are in, no matter how complicated and difficult the mission they are undertaking, China's peacekeeping troops have always performed their duties and lived up to the trust placed in them. They have always maintained a good ideological and political performance, good work style, good discipline requirements, and good mental state. One of our peacekeepers wrote in his diary: "If someone asks us why we travel so far and undertake peacekeeping work in such a dangerous place, please tell him, because we want to maintain the bottom line of human civilization."
China's peacekeeping troops is working for peace and justice. In the past 30 years, groups of Chinese peacekeepers have marched forward bravely and forged ahead for world peace, and accomplished their mission in the risky peacekeeping battlefield. The lifeline of political work is fully demonstrated in the front line of peacekeeping. Thank you.
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