Chinese General Will Solve the Cyprus Crisis

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Chinese general leads troops in Cyprus as Beijing embraces U.N. role

...as commander of the U.N. mission in Cyprus, Major General Liu has the most senior peacekeeping position yet held by China - the biggest contributor of peacekeeping troops of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

Beijing makes it clear it views its peacekeeping as a sign of its growing status as a global power.

China has not fought a conflict since a 1979 war with Vietnam. Deploying on peacekeeping, humanitarian and other multilateral missions, experts say, is also seen by its rulers as a crucial way to build skills and test capabilities.

In the past year Beijing has showcased new long-range transport aircraft and is building new supply ships as it faces the task of maintaining forces around the world.

China provides more than 1,800 personnel to U.N. missions. They have built camps in Darfur, run field hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, cleared landmines in Lebanon and built infrastructure in South Sudan.

While that number is the highest of the permanent Security Council members - China, the United States, Russia, Britain and France - it is less than a quarter of the level provided by countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

Missions are largely funded by richer states but manned by poorer ones who get paid to conduct operations - though, for China, sending troops is not about the money.

The peacekeeping department of China's Ministry for National Defence, foreign analysts say, appears to contain some of the country's best-educated and most ambitious officers, as well as those with the best foreign language skills.

China has even opened its own peacekeeping school for its own and foreign forces, including mockups of U.N. camps, minefields and disaster zones.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/27/us-cyprus-china-peacekeeping-idUSBRE92Q0OU20130327

[Karee 4,191]

Not sure if that's good or bad.

[Darnell 8,479]

Yay China !! Yay Cyprus !!!

Will be some nice food, for a change.