China's peacekeeping officers to Darfur, Sudan, are awarded United Nations Peace Medals of Honor in Nyala, Sudan, on Oct 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Peacekeeping efforts

Beijing first sent troops into a combat zone in 2013, dispatching peacekeepers to Mali, and in 2015 sent troops to South Sudan, where part of the mission is to guard oil installations, some of which are Chinese invested. Three Chinese warships have joined the international naval flotilla battling piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

China supplies 2,322 troops to UN peacekeeping efforts worldwide -- by far the most of any UN security council member -- and has pledged 8,000 for a fast-response force. The US has just 42 troops but fronts the largest share of the UN peacekeeping budget -- although US President Donald Trump wants to cut that by half.

-- CNN: A global military player (May 12, 2017)