Chinese Police Help Keep the World Safer

THE year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), the 20th anniversary of Chinese police’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, and the fifth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the UN Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping.

- CHEN JUN

In January 2000, China sent the first group of 15 police officers to the UN’s peacekeeping operation in East Timor. After 20 years of dedicated work, Chinese police officers have become important contributing forces of the UN peacekeeping operations.

Always Prepared

Liu Yong is the commander of the seventh contingent of Chinese peacekeepers to Mali. It was the third time he was on peacekeeping missions. From Darfur, Sudan, to South Sudan and Mali, Liu has worked his way up through the ranks by fulfilling different tasks and became the commander of the contingent from the head of an engineering squad.

In Nyala, Darfur of Sudan, the engineering squad drilled a 100-meter deep well in granite ground within a few weeks. This rapid response effectively brought much needed water to the local community.

In Mundri of South Sudan, Liu learned first-hand the harm conflicts have on people’s lives. One day, clashes between government and non-government forces broke out less than one km from the camp of Liu and his fellow soldiers. On the early morning after the clashes, local civilians took advantage of a truce to seek refuge in the camp out of trust in Chinese peacekeepers.

The most dangerous place in Liu’s view was Mali. “In addition to clashes between local government and non-government forces, terrorist attacks were also frequent. The terrorists carried out indiscriminate attacks on peacekeepers and they did not stop just because we are Chinese troops. So we had to be vigilant and stay alert,” said Liu.