China’s financial support to the UN peacekeeping budget also jumped, from 3 percent of total contributions in 2013 to about 10.2 percent, making China the second-largest funder of peacekeeping operations behind the United States.

 

In 2015, President Xi Jinping pledged to establish a 10-year, $1 billion peace and development fund to support the UN’s work and said China would set up a permanent peacekeeping police squad and a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops.

 

The standby force has finished its registration process with the UN and will be deployed after training, China’s Defense Ministry said in September. The force will include members from 28 divisions and 10 fields, ranging from infantry battalions and quick-response forces to helicopter and drone crews.

 

In April, the 16th batch of Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon were awarded the UN Peace Medal of Honor for their contributions. Two months earlier, the fifth contingent of Chinese peacekeepers to Mali received the same award.

 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that China has become an “honest broker” and “bridge-builder” in international conflicts thanks to its consistent support to peacekeeping operations. China’s strong commitment is becoming more appreciated as other nations, such as the US, are scaling back its financial and personnel support.

 

On Tuesday, the UN lowered the troop ceiling from 4,800 to 4,500 personnel for its peacekeeping mission in Abyei, an oil-rich region that is highly contested between Sudan and South Sudan.

 

Major General Wang Xiaojun, force commander of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, said one of the biggest challenges for peacekeeping operations is cutting staff while work is becoming harder as terrorism, trafficking and armed conflicts continue.

 

“Defusing conflicts through political negotiation is extremely hard and takes a very long time,” Wang said. “But I am sure we will find a way. Once rebuilding starts and the economy begins booming, peace will shortly follow.”