China to deploy 700 troops to peacekeeping mission in S Sudan  

中国拟向南苏丹派遣700人维和步兵营 配备装甲车

China plans to deploy 700 troops to join a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the country's Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday.

Geng Yansheng, spokesperson for the defense ministry, said that the troops will assist the UN with protecting local residents and humanitarian workers, and will be involved in other security-related activities.

The troops will have light weapons for self-defense, armored personnel carriers and other equipment, based on the UN request, Geng noted.

The 700 infantry troops will be deployed in accordance with UN Security Council authorization and approved by China's State Council and Central Military Commission.

The location of the troops and the timing of the deployment will be decided after further negotiation with the UN, according to Geng.

UN officials have said that it would be the first time China is to send combat troops to participate in a peacekeeping mission, Reuters reported.

Currently, China has 350 peacekeepers in South Sudan, mainly engineering teams and medical units, according to the UN.

A total of 1,800 Chinese peacekeepers are in Africa, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on September 10, adding that China is willing to increase its support for South Sudan peacekeeping in line with Security Council requests.

"Deploying such a huge number of combat troops demonstrates that China will take more responsibility to help maintain regional peace," said Li Wei, director of the Institute of Security and Arms Control Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Li noted that sending a battalion means that the country needs to spend more money and face up to more risks, compared with sending support units.

The deployment confirmation came after a delegation from South Sudan's opposition party visited China at the invitation of the Chinese foreign ministry.

China is South Sudan's biggest oil investor and the State-owned China National Petroleum has a 40 percent stake in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, a joint venture oil field developer.

The nine-month-long rebellion in South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, has displaced 1.5 million people from their homes.

Western media has previously suggested that China deploy peacekeepers to protect its own investments. The UN denied such claims earlier in September.