China a positive force for world peace

Chinese peacekeeping troops, the last detachment of the country's first deployment of a full infantry battalion for a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission arrive at Juba International Airport on April 8, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

As a country pursuing the path of peaceful development, China has been staunchly safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. Since the beginning of the new century, China has enthusiastically participated in international affairs, adding value to international relations.

Following the path of peaceful development, China has contributed to world peace and development, and worked with the rest of the international community to deal with various global and regional challenges.

As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always supported the UN to play a greater role in international affairs. Over the years, China has become a major contributor to UN operations, undertaking an increasing number of tasks that include global peacekeeping, international humanitarian relief and escorting vessels in the high seas.

China contributes more troops to UN peacekeeping operations than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. More than 30,000 Chinese peacekeepers have served overseas since China started participating in peacekeeping missions in 1990.

China's share of UN peacekeeping costs in the 2016-18 period will be second only to that of the United States. It has also played an important role in the Iranian nuclear talks, South Sudan's domestic reconciliation, the Afghan peace process and made great efforts to find a political resolution to the Syrian crisis.

As many Chinese officials have emphasized, being the largest developing country in the world has helped China decide that development is its primary task of governance. And the history of the Chinese as a peace-loving people, their painful sufferings over the decades leading to the reform and opening-up, their aspiration for development, and the current global trend of peace and development have all determined that China will not seek development through the colonial and hegemonic path that the Western powers did to expand their empires.

As President Xi Jinping has said, China's pursuit of peaceful development is not an act of expediency, much less diplomatic rhetoric, but a conclusion drawn from the objective judgment of history, the reality of the current world as well as the vision for the future.

China advocates the building of a community of shared destiny and developing a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation. With the economic vision to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa, it is promoting the Belt and Road Initiative on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

As such, a more prosperous China will make even greater contributions to world peace and development.