China's "Blue Helmets" safeguard world peace and development
Our reporter Chen Shangwen
In April 1990, five military observers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army arrived in Damascus, the capital of Syria, and the photos were published in the briefing of UN peacekeeping operations.
This is the historical testimony of the Chinese military's participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
32 years have passed, the original intention is like a torch, and the journey is like a rainbow.
Over the past 32 years, Chinese peacekeepers have faced adversity and braved dangers wherever there is a mission, beside the line of fire, in dense forests, and in ruins. Practical actions have written the blood and responsibility of the soldiers of a major country, and contributed staunch Chinese strength to maintaining world peace and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
live for peace live for peace
"Peace in the world", "Peace in the world", "Come for peace"... On the banks of the beautiful Kivu Lake in Bukavu, Congo (DRC), the locals affectionately call the place where the Chinese peacekeepers are stationed as the "China Peninsula". Stone sculptures engraved with the word "peace" stand on both sides of the camp road, carrying the original intention and mission of batches of Chinese peacekeepers.
In the Lebanon-Israel border area with complex terrain and densely mined areas, the minesweepers of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer detachment to Lebanon are performing one of the most dangerous tasks in peacekeeping operations.
Among them, 11 are from the Minesweeping and Explosion-Removing Brigade of the Army in the Southern Theater Command. They are comrades of the "mine-sweeping hero" Du Fuguo.
"Fuguo, did you hear that? Just now, we destroyed another landmine. With one more landmine cleared and one square meter of land cleared, the Lebanese people can farm and build houses on the minefields we've cleared. Isn't this the most beautiful scenery in the minds of our mine-sweeping officers and soldiers?" This was a call with an old comrade-in-arms.
From the Chinese border to the conflict zone, the fighters traveled through the "death zone", continuing the spirit of "let me come" in the "Blue Line" minefield.
Peace is the common aspiration and noble goal of mankind.
UN peacekeeping operations are born and exist for peace, and have become an important way to maintain world peace and security.
Peacekeeping operations bring confidence to conflict areas and give local people hope.
The Chinese peacekeeping force has achieved leapfrog development from small to large, single to diverse troop types, and from support and support to comprehensive and multi-functional tasks—
Following the first dispatch of military observers to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in 1990, the Chinese army dispatched a peacekeeping engineer brigade composed of 400 officers and soldiers to the United Nations Interim Authority in Cambodia in 1992 to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations for the first time; In 2013, for the first time, a company-level guard unit was dispatched to support the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUS for short); The Soviet Union) dispatched a peacekeeping infantry battalion, sending a battalion-scale peacekeeping security force for the first time; in 2017, the first peacekeeping helicopter detachment was deployed to the Darfur region of Sudan...
As of the end of June this year, the Chinese military has participated in 25 UN peacekeeping operations, and has dispatched nearly 50,000 peacekeepers.
China is the second largest contributor to peacekeeping in the United Nations and the largest troop contributor among the permanent members of the Security Council.
China's "Blue Helmets" have traveled to more than 20 countries and regions, and 16 soldiers have given their precious lives for the cause of human peace.
At present, more than 2,200 Chinese peacekeepers are sticking to their posts in the seven UN mission areas and headquarters, watering the beautiful flower of peace with sweat and youth.
China has fulfilled its solemn commitment to maintaining world peace and demonstrated its responsibility as a major country with practical actions——
China has completed the registration of an 8,000-strong peacekeeping standby force with the United Nations, becoming the country with the largest number of UN peacekeeping standby forces and the most complete types of units; it has provided 100 million US dollars of free military assistance to the African Union and supported the construction of the African standing army and the rapid response force for crisis response. ; The establishment of the China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund, of which nearly half of the projects involve United Nations peacekeeping operations... One by one, the high-pitched commitments took root, and the solid and orderly actions came to fruition.
"Thank you for China's support for the work of the United Nations in the field of peace and security, especially for its contribution to the cause of United Nations peacekeeping." Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Affairs, expressed his sincere emotion, "I am grateful to them Selfless dedication under the blue flag of the United Nations is highly appreciated."
Stick to the front line, let the five-star red flag flutter in the wind
This is the perseverance on the day-by-day post-
"800, I'm 215. After the handover of the sentinel in District 1, everything is normal." When the people of the motherland had eaten lunch, Juba, the capital of South Sudan, thousands of miles away, just ushered in the first ray of sunshine in the morning.
A Dongfeng Warriors personnel carrier drove out of the Chinese battalion and sent the officers and soldiers on duty to 15 observation posts around the UNMISS camp in turn.
Here, the officers and soldiers of the Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion take turns guarding not only the United Nations camp, but also the peace and hope of more than 70,000 South Sudanese people in the nearby refugee camp.
The temperature in the mission area was as high as 40 degrees Celsius at noon.
Wearing thick body armor, after five hours, the officers and soldiers were soaked with sweat, but they always maintained a high degree of vigilance and observed the surrounding conditions of the camp at all times.
Zhang Ruiyong, first sergeant of the eighth batch of Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan (Juba), always checks his attire in the mirror before picking up the post each time, and stroking the five-star red flag on his arm. strength.
"The national flag symbolizes dignity and also carries responsibility. Standing on the post, our image is related to the honor of Chinese soldiers, and there is no room for sloppyness."
This is a high standard of construction -
"Rocket, covert!" One morning, the sound of rockets breaking through the air suddenly resounded above the Menaka superbattalion of the MINUSMA, and the duty post immediately sounded the alarm and shouted on the walkie-talkie.
Within 15 seconds, 38 officers and soldiers from the Menaka Detachment of the ninth Chinese peacekeeping engineer detachment to Mali quickly entered the bunker with equipment.
Eight seconds later, the rocket hit the super-battalion civilian board room, and the strong airflow generated by the explosion caused the explosion-proof sandbox in the bunker to shake violently.
Menaka is an important military town under the jurisdiction of the MINUSCA East Theater, where violent and terrorist attacks are frequent, and security threats such as armed infiltration and harassment, curved firearm strikes, and improvised explosive attacks are extremely severe. It is one of the areas with the highest risk level in Mali.
Zhang Xuyang, the platoon leader of the three-dimensional squadron of the engineer unit, immediately commanded his comrades, gathered and counted the personnel, and completed a briefing to the team headquarters within 3 minutes.
Soon, after the situation stabilized, the officers and soldiers returned to busy infrastructure tasks.
"No matter how dangerous the situation is, no matter how difficult the conditions are, the standard cannot be lowered!" From the renovation of the main road of the Menaka Super Camp to the construction of bunkers, the officers and soldiers endured the high temperature and carried their hands on their shoulders. Blood oozes out, but everyone has been insisting on high-intensity operations and high-quality completion, in order to provide an extra layer of protection for the safety of peacekeepers.
"Stepping into this desert filled with gunpowder smoke gave me a deeper understanding of the meaning of 'peace'." In Zhang Xuyang's view, performing peacekeeping missions in conflict areas faces the threat of bullet attacks at any time. The duty of a good peacekeeper.
"Staying on the front line of peacekeeping, the bright five-star red flag fluttering in the wind is the source of our strength."
This is a battle with the god of death—
In the second-level peacekeeping hospital of the United Nations in Congo (DRC), the silent night in the early morning was broken by urgent calls for help.
A Uruguayan peacekeeper was evacuated by air due to severe fever.
"Shock patients have cold limbs, weak pulse, large pupils, loss of light reflex, blood pressure 68/42 mmHg, still showing a downward trend! Quick!" The 25th batch of Chinese military doctors to the Congo (DRC) peacekeeping medical team Weng Min, running and getting dressed, rushed to the emergency room, panting and giving medical advice.
At this moment, every second is a race against death.
After examination, the patient was diagnosed with severe malaria with ruptured spleen and hemorrhage, and his life was in jeopardy.
However, local medical conditions were unable to provide blood transfusions and surgery.
How to do?
save!
Without any hesitation!
Create conditions to save!
Establish three channels, artificially pressurized and rehydration, a special person is responsible for mask oxygen inhalation, and use the best acid suppressants and hemostatic drugs that constrict microvessels.
If there is no plasma, the existing human serum albumin is used to replace the guaranteed nutritional support treatment. The changes in the patient's vital signs are observed every 15 minutes, and the change in the urine volume of the urine bag is observed every 30 minutes to adjust the rate of fluid replacement... After several hours of hard work, the patient's vital signs Finally calmed down, and the medical staff involved in the treatment were full of tears.
Over the past 32 years, the Chinese peacekeeping force has built and repaired more than 18,000 kilometers of roads and more than 300 bridges; removed more than 16,000 mines and various types of unexploded ordnance; transported more than 1.2 million tons of various materials and equipment, with a total transportation mileage of 13 million More than 1,000 kilometers; received and treated patients and rescued more than 254,000 wounded people; completed numerous tasks such as armed escorts, long and short-distance patrols, negotiation and investigation...
According to Atikul Rahman, Commander of the Juba Theater of UNMISS, the Chinese military has a good work style, discipline and awareness of combat readiness. is reassuring.
Spread friendship, light up the hope of development
While creating a safe and stable environment for conflicting countries and regions, Chinese peacekeepers also actively participate in medical and health care, humanitarian aid, environmental protection, people's livelihood development, social reconstruction, etc., provide more public service products, spread friendship with practical actions, and help local people The people light up the hope of development.
In October last year, in the "Blue Line" minefield on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the 20th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer detachment to Lebanon successfully completed the repair of the "VA-2 road" drainage system.
Under the scorching sun, it is self-evident that the danger factor is huge, and the officers and soldiers have never been afraid to back down.
"Thank you so much! This drainage system has been in disrepair for many years and has plagued the lives of ordinary people for a long time. I didn't expect Chinese peacekeepers to help us solve this big problem." Milad Alam, the mayor of Rumis, Lebanon, made a special trip to Construction site, express gratitude and name the facility "Peace Canal".
At the gate of the patrol line adjustment point in the buffer zone around the UNMISS camp, there are often a group of local South Sudanese children learning Chinese with the peacekeepers.
Here, the gate of the camp is the classroom, the Chinese peacekeepers are the teachers, and the teaching materials are nature and everything within sight.
"The teachers pointed to trees, houses, tables, chairs and repeated it in Chinese several times, and I could remember it." Mary, only 10 years old, happily shared her learning methods and achievements.
Mali, who lives in No. 1 refugee camp, has been learning Chinese with officers and soldiers since 2019.
He can now speak relatively pure Chinese.
"It was the Chinese soldiers who taught me knowledge, enriched my vision, and made me understand the beauty of peace and development. I hope to have the opportunity to visit China." For the future, Mali's eyes are full of expectations.
For a long time, teaching South Sudanese children to learn Chinese and providing humanitarian assistance to the local people have become a tradition inherited by batches of peacekeepers.
"Chinese parents are here..." The International SOS Children's Village in Bukavu, South Kivu, Congo (DRC) was full of laughter and laughter from children.
This is one of the earliest orphan adoption charities established in Congo (DRC), and there are currently more than 100 orphans who have lost their parents or been abandoned due to war and disease.
Since its deployment to the Bukavu mission area in 2005, the Chinese peacekeeping medical team to the Congo (DRC) has paired up with the International SOS Children's Village, bringing supplies to the children, providing periodic medical services, and telling them about Chinese culture story.
In the past 17 years, this ardent love has never been interrupted, and it has become a legend in the local area.
Chinese peacekeepers have shown the world the great love and heart of the Chinese people with sincerity, and have proved through personal practice that people from different countries can cross races and cultures, share weal and ties, and have a heart-to-heart connection.
The dream of peace is lofty and great, and the cause of peace has a long way to go.
Entering a new era, the Chinese military will continue to increase its participation in UN peacekeeping operations, comprehensively enhance its peacekeeping capabilities, faithfully fulfill its missions and tasks, and contribute more to world peace and development.
(Zang Yaqi, Wang Hongyang, Li Xiaolong, Zhuang Xiaohao, and Yan Junhua also contributed to this article)