File Photo: China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu (Front) addresses the Security Council meeting on Syria situation at the UN headquarters in New York, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Wednesday that United Nations peacekeeping missions must strictly adhere to UN Charter principles and fully respect the sovereignty of host countries.

"Member states and the Secretariat must adapt peacekeeping operations to changing situations on the ground," said Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, at the "Collective Action to Improve UN Peacekeeping Operations" open debate of the UN Security Council.

"Secretariat support for peacekeeping must be enhanced, with priority given to troop security," he said.

Soldiers form the Italian contingent in the UNIFIL patrol the blue line in Lebanon's southern border town of Naqura on the border with Israel, south of Beirut, on Feb. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP)

"It was imperative to enhance the capacity of troop-contributing countries, particularly developing countries, and to reinforce partnerships with regional organizations," he added.

Emphasizing that China was the second largest troop-contributing country among Security Council members, and the second largest contributor to the peacekeeping budget, he said China had established an 8,000-strong peacekeeping standby force, and had deployed its first helicopters to a mission in Africa.

A funeral ceremony is held to bid farewell to deceased Chinese UN peacekeeper Yang Shupeng and Li Lei in Xuchang, central China's Henan Province, July 21, 2016. Li Lei and Yang Shupeng were killed on the evening of July 10 after a mortar shell hit their armored vehicle during fighting between two army factions in Juba, capital of South Sudan. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

The debate was chaired by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. The objective of the debate was to discuss ways to improve engagement of all actors in support of UN peacekeeping operations.