China hosts UN Security Council visit to show support for peacekeeping
- Tour of modern cities is a departure from customary visits to conflict areas
- It will follow debate on strengthening multilateralism, chaired by China during its Security Council presidency for November
China has invited the UN Security Council for a visit this month that will showcase its growing support for peacekeeping and include a tour of the modern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, its UN ambassador said on Thursday.
The visit will highlight China’s role as a global player at a time when the United States is pulling back from multilateral institutions like the United Nations.
As part of its Security Council presidency for November, China is also planning a debate on strengthening multilateralism and the UN’s role.
The council trip to Beijing and southern China marks a departure from the usual visits to conflict areas. China’s United Nations ambassador Ma Zhaoxu called the trip a “side event” instead of a formal visit.
After the United States, China is the second-largest financial contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, but it is the largest troop contributor of the council’s five permanent members.
About 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are serving in complex missions in South Sudan, Mali, Sudan’s Darfur region and the Democratic Republic of Congo.