Protection plea made after attack on Mali peacekeepers

China has asked Mali and the United Nations to take immediate measures to reinforce protection for UN peacekeepers, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The move comes after Tuesday's mortar attack on a UN camp in the African nation that killed a Chinese peacekeeper and injured another four.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks at a news briefing, adding that China supports the UN Security Council discussing proposals to improve security protection for UN peacekeeping missions.