China's sixth peacekeeping squad for the United Nations mission in Haiti left Beijing on Thursday.

 

The 95 members will join a 30-member advance group, which has been in Haiti since Dec. 4, bringing the squad up to its full force of 125, including eight female police officers.

 

All the officers come from the southwestern Yunnan Province, mostly from anti-drug trafficking police teams.

 

They will replace the 125-strong fifth peacekeeping squad, which has been in Haiti since April.

 

The sixth squad will serve in Haiti for eight months.

 

The fifth squad, all from Guangdong Province, will return on Dec. 15.

 

China has participated in UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti since 2004.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2007)