Chinese public security departments are working hard to train more peacekeepers for United Nations peacekeeping operations, said Yang Huanning, vice minister of public security, told visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Tuesday.

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is always exerting itself to safeguarding international peace and security," Yang said at a meeting with Annan at the newly-built China Peacekeeping Civilian Police Training Center near Beijing.

He noted that "China pays great attention to and supports the United Nations in giving scope to its dual role in maintaining world peace and security in compliance with the aims and principles of the UN Charter."

Speaking highly of the efforts the Chinese government had made to safeguard world and regional peace, Annan said he hoped that China would continue to support and participate in UN peacekeeping operations.

Annan and Yang viewed a training session of the Chinese peacekeeping forces who will leave for Haiti on October 17.

So far, China has assigned a total of 297 Chinese peacekeepers to six nations, namely East Timor, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liberia, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Haiti. Now there are still 92 Chinese police officers in five UN peacekeeping operations.

Later Tuesday, Annan visited the Liuminying village on Beinjing's outskirts, acclaimed as China's first "village of ecological agriculture."

Annan arrived in Beijing Saturday for a five-day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese government. This is his sixth visit to the country as UN chief.