China´s 1st peace mission officer

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-11-2007 09:21

China's first senior officer of an international peacekeeping force has departed for New York.

Major General Zhao Jingmin will stay briefly at UN headquarters before starting his work. As the military commander of the UN's mission in Western Sahara, Zhao will oversee the conflicted region's referendum to declare independence or re-integrate with Morocco.

UN head Ban Ki-moon appointed Zhao as the commander late last month. It is the first time the world body has had a Chinese national heading one of its missions. Since 1990, China has sent over seven thousand five hundred military officers and soldiers to participate in UN peacekeeping missions. A total of eight have died in previous missions.

Editor:Zhang Ning