When China became a permanent member of the Security Council in 1971, the United Nations was largely focused on the Cold War and China took a back seat in council deliberations. Today with the global threat of terrorism, the spread of viruses, and efforts to curtail climate change, China has is playing a more critical role in the United Nations. CCTV America’s Nathan King reports.

Wherever you look to the United Nations meetings in New York this week you see China center stage, whether it’s Ebola, climate change, or the terrorism meeting, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was there. But that wasn’t always the case, especially 40 years ago when china first joined the United Nations Security Council.

Take China’s involvement in peacekeeping for example. Before 2000, it had no peacekeepers deployed. China now has nearly 22,000 people participating and it’s the largest contributor of troops among the permanent members of the Security Council.

For more on China’s role at the United Nations over the years, CCTV America was joined by Teng Jianqun in Beijing a scholar at the China Institute of International Studies.