Chinese combat troops 'can be part of UN peacekeeping'

BEIJING - China will consider sending combat troops overseas at the request of the United Nations, an officer from the Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday.

"If the UN indeed needs (China's combat troops) and makes a request to us, we will put forward proposals (on this issue) to the government's decision-makers," said Senior Colonel Tao Xiangyang, deputy director of the ministry's peacekeeping affairs office.

But the UN has so far not made any such request to China, Tao said.