File Photo: The burial ceremony of Shen Liangliang, a Chinese UN peacekeeping soldier killed in a recent terrorist attack in Mali, is held in a martyrs' cemetery in his hometown of Wenxian County, central China's Henan Province, June 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

by Xinhua writer Xu Xiaolei

UNITED NATIONS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Police is very happy with China's contribution to peacekeeping missions, a UN official said Thursday, describing his Chinese colleagues as engaging, professional, trustworthy and disciplined.

UN Police adviser Luis Carrilho fondly recalled his interactions with the Chinese police personnel in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing UN Chief of Police Summit (UNCOPS).

"In my first mission in Timor-Leste, I had the pleasure and the privilege to count on the Chinese police officers. They were like my (own) police officers," he said.

In March, while visiting Liberia before the closure of its peacekeeping mission, Carrilho was warmly welcomed by the Chinese foreign police unit there, who he said "clearly" contributed to the success of the mission.

"If the success of peacekeeping is the end of peacekeeping, the Chinese contingent clearly contributed in Liberia, as well as in all the other missions that have closed," he said.

At his office at the UN headquarters in New York, Carrilho's Chinese deputy works with him "side by side" every day, who he praised for being trustworthy.

"My deputy is doing an outstanding job ... He is someone I can even trust more than myself," Carrilho said.

When asked about what Chinese officers impressed him most, he said he has always been amazed by their ability to engage and protect the communities.

Carrilho also commended the Chinese blue berets for their professionalism and a high level of well-rounded expertise that can help enhance the skills of national security forces they work with.

Discipline is another quality he found in the Chinese officers deployed to UN peacekeeping missions, he said.

In addition, Carrilho said he appreciates China's high-level participation in UNCOPS, a clear sign of China's commitment to police peacekeeping.

The summit, second of its kind, is attended by police leaders from over 120 countries. They are expected to chart a vision for the police components deployed to UN peacekeeping missions.

Wang Xiaohong, the Executive Vice Minister of Public Security of China, pledged at the summit that China shall invest more in capacity building.

"We shall actively host UN workshops, develop mobile training teams in partnership with the UN and give priority to the training programs in Africa," he said.

He also said China shall continue to "supply senior personnel and junior professionals" to peacekeeping missions.

"I am very happy that China is committed to continuous support for peacekeeping ... with even more skilled police officers," Carrilho said.

UN Police is an integral part of UN peacekeeping, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Since 1990, 129 countries have contributed to the body.

Currently, more than 11,000 police officers from some 90 countries serve in 16 UN operations worldwide.