CRI听力:China's contribution to promoting peace in Africa hailed

People attending an exhibition at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Ethiopia connected to Chinese peacekeeping have been noting and lauding China's contribution to maintaining peace and security in Africa.

The theme of the five-day exhibition in Addis Ababa is "Chinese People's Liberation Army (CPLA): A Force for World Peace."

It showcases the Chinese military's practices and achievements in safeguarding the world peace and advancing common development.

The event covers four major topics, including the Chinese military's participation in UN peacekeeping missions, its efforts in maritime security off the African east coast, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, and exchanges and cooperation in global security.

17 different exhibition boards and over 60 photos are on display, and visitors can also watch short videos which are presented in Mandarin and English.

China's Charge d'Affaires to the African Union, Chen Xufeng, says the exhibition is a testament to the emphasis China puts toward promoting peace in Africa.

"Over the years, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has participated in 24 UN peacekeeping missions, 16 of which are in Africa. Of the 39-thousand peacekeeping troops we ever dispatched, 32-thousand have been deployed on this continent. We support the AU and all African countries in their pursuit of peace and development by putting Africa first and by giving assistance without (political) strings of any kind. And we believe this is why we could come such a long way in our cooperation with Africa," says Chen.

Acting director for AU Peace and Security, Admore Kambudzi, notes China is taking on a larger role in keeping the peace in Africa.

"China is proven to be a valuable partner to Africa. Over the past two decades in particular, China has provided support to Africa in all areas, including in the area of peace and security. I hope we see much more of this in the future. I wish to express the AU's appreciation for the significant support provided by the Chinese government to the AU's peace and security efforts," says Kambudzi.

Norway's military attaché to the African Union, Terje Thomesen, says the Chinese peacekeepers stationed in Africa have proven themselves to be good soldiers, and good ambassadors for China.

"I worked a little bit with Chinese (peacekeepers) when I worked in UNMISS, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. The Chinese officers I met with and worked with are very professional, very good officers, very good representatives of China. If you have peace and security as a very broad picture, China is by far the largest contributor to Africa. So I think China is a very important partner for Africa," says Thomesen.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, delivering a speech at the opening ceremony to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last year, proclaimed that China is ready to play a more constructive role in promoting peace and stability in Africa, and will support African countries in creating their own peace and stability.