BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China has sent 15,603 soldiers to participate in 18 United Nations peacekeeping missions since 1990, an official of China's Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.

Of the total, nine soldiers died while on the missions, said Tao Xiangyang.

As of the end of June 2010, there were still 1,960 soldiers deployed in UN peacekeeping missions in nine mission areas or working in the UN peacekeeping department, Tao said.

Also on Tuesday, a group of 38 foreign military attaches to China, who were from 36 countries, visited a training center for peacekeeping soldiers in Huairou District, suburban Beijing.