BEIJING — Chinese military has trained almost 500 peacekeepers for other countries and will complete the registration of 8,000 standby troops for UN peacekeeping in the near future, said a spokesperson of China’s Defense Ministry on Sept 29.

According to spokesperson Yang Yujun, the country’s first peacekeeping helicopter unit is ready to be dispatched to mission areas.

China and the African Union have been negotiating the implementation of an aid plan worth $100 million in next five years, Yang added.

In support of the UN initiative to set up a “vanguard brigade” of 4,000 rapid deployment troops, China will make some of its 8,000 troops deployable within 60 days, said Yang.

“China will continue to honor its commitment to UN peacekeeping missions and play an active role in safeguarding global peace and regional stability,” said Yang.