China will send an engineering battalion on a peace-keeping
mission to Lebanon, at the request of the UN, according to military
sources.
The battalion is formed by an engineering regiment under the
Chengdu Area Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA),
based in Yunnan Province, southwest China.
The Chinese battalion, which comprises a mine-sweeping company,
an engineering company, a logistics company and an in-field
hospital, is expected to leave for Lebanon in the UN's chartered
planes in mid March.
It is the fourth PLA unit sent to carry out overseas
peace-keeping missions so far.
In the past, the regiment has sent its men to clean up landmines
in foreign countries on three occasions, and 21 of them have
participated in such missions.
The members of the battalion have been trained in foreign
languages and other knowledge relating to peace-keeping
missions.
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2006)
