QINGDAO -- The 7th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Peacekeeping Experts' Meeting opened in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province Thursday, with over 100 representatives from 27 ARF participants and the United Nations attending.

ARF participants, mostly Asian countries including China, have become an important driving force for world peace and development as they contribute to 31 percent of the total UN peacekeeping force and 67 percent of the overall fund for UN peacekeeping operations, according to the meeting.

The two-day meeting aims to support the "Action for Peacekeeping" Initiative by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and to highlight the significant role of regional organization on UN peacekeeping operations.

Participants will discuss topics including promoting better understanding of the mandates of UN peacekeeping missions, improving the capacity building, including pre-deployment training and rapid deployment, enhancing the efficiency of protection provided by peacekeeping operations, and improving the safety and security of peacekeepers.

China is willing to, with other ARF participants, deepen cooperation in the field of peacekeeping and enhance capacity to implement peacekeeping operations, in order to contribute to greater development of UN peacekeeping cause and world peace, according to China's Peacekeeping Affairs Center under the Ministry of National Defense.

Since it joined the UN peacekeeping operations in 1990, the Chinese military has participated in 24 missions, and sent over 40,000 peacekeepers. Currently more than 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are performing duty on seven UN peacekeeping missions and at the UN Headquarters.

The Chinese peacekeepers have made contributions to promoting peaceful settlement of disputes, maintaining regional security and stability as well as accelerating economic and social development of the countries concerned, and have been highly commended by the UN and local governments and people.

The meeting is jointly hosted by the peacekeeping affairs center and the Cambodian National Center for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance.