At the invitation of the government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Minister of Land and Resources Jiang Daming, as the special envoy of President Xi Jinping, will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Juan Evo Morales Ayma from January 21 to 22.
Q: It is reported that yesterday a tugboat sank in Jiangsu Province, and over 20 people including citizens from Japan, Singapore, India and other countries went missing. Please brief us on the latest development of search and rescue.
A: On the afternoon of January 15, a tugboat capsized in the Yangtze River near Zhangjiagang due to improper operation, leaving numbers missing including 8 foreigners. The Jiangsu Provincial Government paid great attention to this incident, immediately initiated the emergency response mechanism and dispatched numbers of vessels to search and rescue. Relevant work is still underway and competent authorities of China will continue with search and rescue and other related affairs arising from the incident.
Q: China has promised to send 700 UN peacekeepers to South Sudan. When will they be deployed?
A: China strongly supports South Sudan in realizing peace. China has been advocating the early and peaceful settlement of the South Sudan issue in the UN Security Council and on other international occasions, and prompting the international community to firmly support and coordinate with the IGAD-led mediation. Meanwhile, the Chinese side plays a proactive role in the UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan, and the additional peacekeeping infantry troop China sent to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is gradually moving into place. Being China's first combat forces dispatched overseas, the peacekeeping troop in South Sudan will strictly follow the mandate of the Security Council, fulfill its obligations under the command of the UNMISS, help safeguard security and stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian assistance efforts in South Sudan.
