UNITED NATIONS, March 10, 2010 -- The four Chinese who lost their lives while serving the UN mission in Haiti will be remembered for forever, China's envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the statement after meeting the families of the four Chinese UN peacekeepers who were killed in the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.

"The four martyrs gave their precious lives for China's interest and the diplomatic cause, and also for the maintenance of world peace," Li said. "They will be remembered forever by our motherland and people."

The four fallen Chinese in Haiti were Zhao Huayu, 38; Li Qin, 47; Zhong Jianqin, 35, and He Zhihong, 35. They were participating in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

China also lost four of its supporting staff working with the UN peacekeepers in Haiti in the same temblor.

Eight family members of the four fallen Chinese UN peacekeepers were in New York to attend a special memorial ceremony held by the United Nations for the 101 UN peacekeepers and staff members lost to the deadly quake.

Since 2000, China has sent 1,569 people to join the UN peacekeeping missions in places like Afghanistan, Bosnia, East Timor, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia and Sudan.