In his first address to the United Nations as the Chinese president, Xi Jinping has announced that China will be contributing about 8,000 troops and $1 billion to a U.N. peace and development fund. The Chinese president further pledged an additional $100 million to the African Union over the next five years, in order to establish an emergency response unit.

The 8,000 troops that the Chinese president has promised will be assigned to the "Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System," a newly formed rapid-deployment standby force. It is, however, not clear whether the 8,000 will be replacing the 3,000 troops that China has already committed to the U.N, according to Quartz News.

President Xi Jinping's declaration is seen by many as a sign that the world's second biggest economy is beginning to become more geopolitically assertive. Critics, however, simply see the president's declaration as China's way to defend its economic interests in Africa, where it holds a significant amount of power in the building of infrastructure in the region, reports Bloomberg Business.

Regardless of whether or not the 8,000 will replace the current troops that have already been committed, China remains to be one of the largest contributors in the region. As of this writing, it has already sent more troops than any of the other five veto-wielding members on the U.N. Security Council.

Compared to China's numbers, other prominent U.N. members have only sent a small number of soldiers for the U.N. effort. The United States, one of the most prominent members of the U.N., has only sent 82 troops.

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