A 100-member team of Chinese soldiers left Lanzhou Thursday for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for an eight-month UN peace-keeping operation.

They formed the first batch of China's tenth peace-keeping team to the DRC since 2003. They will be joined by a second batch of 118 soldiers who are scheduled to depart on July 12.

The tenth team, all from the Lanzhou Military Area Command, comprises military engineers and medical staff. They will carry out landmine detection, maintainance of airport and transportation facilities, and disease prevention in the central African country.

China's ninth peacekeeping team to the DRC, also made up of 218 soldiers in total, was awarded the UN international peace medal for their outstanding performance earlier this month.

According to a white paper published by the State Council's Information Office in January 2009, China has send more than 11,000 soldiers to participate in 18 UN peacekeeping missions since 1990. A total of eight soldiers have died on those missions.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2009)