UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes mercenary activities in Africa, and will always support African nations' pursuit of peace and prosperity, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu said Monday.

Mercenary activities are a threat to peace and stability in African countries, and China calls for greater international efforts to address the problem, said Ma as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy at a UN Security Council high-level debate on mercenary activities in Africa.