'China eyes influencing UN by via peacekeeping missions'
China plans to increase peacekeeping troops | Photo Credit: IANS
Key Highlights
- The move comes at a time when China and India have been engaged in a standoff along the LAC
- China is planning to send 8000 troops to UN peacekeeping missions
New Delhi: To enhance its influence at the United Nations, China has planned to deploy more troops on the ground for peacekeeping missions, a top government source said, news agency IANS reported. The move, it is believed is also aimed to diminish India's role in such missions.
According to the agency report, Army sources said 'China is also planning to send another 8,000 troops after sending 2,000 troops for UN peacekeeping missions'. "China is making efforts to send more and more troops for such missions where soldiers of different countries come and work together," sources were cited as saying in the agency report.
India, which is one of the most active participants in UN peacekeeping missions, has been part of 51 out of UN's 71 missions so far. Indian troops have been deployed in Congo, Lebanon, and Sudan.
Trump alleged that China was influencing WHO
The development comes on the backdrop of a series of allegations and counter-allegations between Washington and Beijing over influencing another UN agency - the World Health Organisation (WHO)- during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outgoing US President Donald Trump had vehemently attacked WHO alleging that the UN agency 'colluded' with China in delaying the announcement of COVID-19 as a pandemic.
India and China have been locked in a bitter standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. In the confrontations that began in May, at least 50,000 troops have been deployed in the region that also witnessed violent faceoffs between the two armies.
India, as well as the US, have vehemently attacked China's expansionist policies in the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in fact, stressed that Chinese expansionism is the biggest challenge of 'our times'.
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