China's fifth police contingent for Haiti has passed a UN evaluation and will begin its peace-keeping mission next month, sources with the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday.

 

The 125-member team, selected from border police officers in Guangdong Province, will be stationed in the Caribbean country for eight months before returning to China in December.

 

UN officials in charge of the three-day evaluation were impressed with their military abilities and skills as well as the morale, an official with the ministry said.

 

The team underwent five months of intensive training in more than 40 fields, including shooting, driving, language and peace-keeping skills.

 

China has sent more than 800 peace-keeping police officers abroad since January 2000, including four teams to Haiti.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)