UNITED NATIONS - China will continue to pursue a dream of peace and stay firmly on the path of peaceful development, a senior Chinese military official said Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Zhang Jianguo, head of the Chinese delegation to the UN Military Staff Committee, made the remarks at a reception to celebrate the the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Zhang said China will actively fulfil its due international obligations and firmly promote peaceful and common development.

China has had military contacts with more than 150 countries and exchanges about 400 visits every year with foreign military delegations.

As for China's contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, Zhang said China has so far dispatched 22,000 peacekeepers, making it the biggest peacekeeper contributing country among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

China has also dispatched the biggest number of support teams among the 115 troop contributing countries to the UN, and contributes the largest share of UN peacekeeping costs among all developing countries, he said.

According to Zhang, China will send about 400 engineering, medical and security personnel this year to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. It will be the 24th UN peacekeeping operation China participates in and the largest peacekeeping deployment by China.

Zhang added that the Chinese Navy has sent 14 escort formations to provide security for 600 batches of 5,227 Chinese and foreign vessels.

"Right as we speak, a formation of China's North Sea Fleet is working with relevant countries in the Gulf of Aden for international escort missions," he said.

"The PLA will forever be a staunch force for world peace and regional stability," Zhang said.

About 300 people attended the reception.