350 Chinese peacekeepers return from South Sudan

A total of 350 Chinese peacekeepers of the 10th Chinese Peacekeeping Infantry Battalion to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) arrived at an airport in north China's Shijiazhuang on Saturday morning after completing their 12-month-long peacekeeping mission.

Members of the 10th Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan (Juba) are mainly selected from a brigade of the 81st Group Army under the PLA Central Theater Command.

The contingent comprising 700 members set off from China in two batches to carry out the 12-month peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (Juba) last December. Their tasks in the mission area included armed escort, security patrol, conflict isolation and humanitarian relief.

The Chinese peacekeepers have completed more than 200 UNMISS authorized tasks, fulfilling their peacekeeping mission with fine style of work when facing complicated and turbulent situation.

During the past year, the Chinese peacekeepers visited local villages, schools and orphanages for a dozen of times, donating over 5,000 pieces of supplies in total and offering free medical consultations and treatment to local people, which demonstrates China’s role as a responsible major country in the world. All the 700 Chinese peacekeepers were awarded the United Nations Peace Medal of Honor for their unremitting dedication.

"During the peacekeeping mission, we have always taken the peacekeeping operations as political tests for our loyalty and obedience to the Party and capabilities to fulfill duties. We will continue to maintain our fine style of work in the peacekeeping mission after we return to China and make greater achievements in daily training," said Gao Zongliang from the contingent.

According to the schedule, rest of peacekeepers of the 10th Chinese Peacekeeping Infantry Battalion will return to China in late December.

The one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends, a Chinese spokeswoman noted on Wednesday.

Officials from various countries such as Russia, Canada and Thailand have recently reaffirmed their governments' commitment to the one-China principle.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, the spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, expressed appreciation for their righteous position.

"We appreciate the position and practice of relevant countries to uphold the one-China principle and support China's reunification. Facts have shown that the one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community. It's where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends," Zhu said.