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China will soon deploy its first peacekeeping helicopter unit to the Darfur region of Sudan. The unit, which is part of the 81st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), held a departure ceremony in Beijing on 19 May.
The unit, which consists of four Mi-171 multirole medium helicopters and 140 troops, will be deployed in batches, according to Chinese media reports.
Its main tasks will include air patrol and the transportation of personnel and materials.
Although China has been sending PLA troops on such operations since the country's first contribution to a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in 1992, the upcoming deployment marks the first time that helicopters will be despatched.