Chinese riot police take Liberia peacekeeping mission

BEIJING, Oct. 21 -- A police riot squad left Beijing on Monday night to join an eight-month UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia, said the Ministry of Public Security.

It is the first time China has sent a riot police unit to Africa.

According to the ministry, the 140 members of the squad were selected from field police officers in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, and passed UN examinations after three months of training in international law, English, driving and first aid.

Since 2000, China has sent 1,946 police officers on UN peacekeeping missions