A 283-member team of Chinese soldiers left Beijing on Monday for an eight-month UN peacekeeping operation in Liberia.

They formed the second batch of the seventh peacekeeping team that China has sent to the African country. The first batch of 275 soldiers departed on April 18.

The seventh team, 558 in total, is comprised of 240 transportation troops, 275 engineers and 43 medical staff, according to the Ministry of Defense.

The engineering troops will build roads and bridges, and maintain airports and water and power facilities in Liberia. The transportation staff will be in charge of troop transport and logistics, while the medical unit will care for the sick and wounded and conduct epidemic prevention work.

The members of the sixth peacekeeping team, who began their mission in August, flew back to China on April 20, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2008)