A 30-member advance group from China's seventh riot squad for the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission left Beijing for Haiti on Monday.

A 30-member advance group from China's seventh riot squad for the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission left Beijing for Haiti on Monday.

Upon arrival, the advance group would immediately start a handover process with their predecessors. Another 95 riot policemen would leave in mid August, said riot police headquarters director Wu Dongsheng.

With an average age of 30, the 125 riot police, including five female police officers, have passed strict exams in English, shooting, driving, and stamina.

The squad, mostly border-control police in the country's northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, will replace the sixth peacekeeping squad that has been in Haiti since December.

The seventh squad will serve eight months in Haiti.

China has participated in UN peacekeeping missions in the Caribbean country since 2004.

Zhu Hua (left) and her colleagues from China's seventh riot squad for the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission packed things ready on July 28 before leaving Beijing for Haiti on August 4.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)