The years of living dangerously

It's 15 years since China first participated in UN peacekeeping missions, but despite the late start, the country is now a leading light, as Peng Yining reports.

During his deployment as a member of the UN peacekeeping force in East Timor in 2002, Su Dongxu had to overcome fierce competition to be appointed to the post of district commander.

Having achieved his initial objective, though, Su quickly realized that his struggle was just beginning. At a meeting of UN commanders of the 13 district and regional headquarters in the country, Su, who had been a senior police officer in North China's Tianjin, realized that he and an officer from Thailand were the only Asians present.