At the request of the United Nations, China will dispatch a 125-peacekeeping force to war-torn Haiti in early September, according to the Public Security Ministry.

"It is the first time that China will send police to form a peacekeeping force to a country with which it has not established diplomatic relations," said Meng Hongwei, vice-minister of public security at a ceremony held at the opening session for the police training which kicked off on Friday.

Such a move displays the positive stance of China - as a permanent member of the UN Security Council - towards maintaining world and regional peace and stability, he said.

Some 148 police trainees, from police departments including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, will attend English training courses in marksmanship and anti-riot skills at the Academy of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force in Langfang of Hebei Province.

"I'm used to handling the emergency situations in my daily work," said Liu Guogang, a detective from Beijing told reporters. "So I am not afraid to face possible dangerous situations in Haiti."

"My daughter even asked me if I'll come back to have supper on the night when I left home," said the 34-year Liu, whose daughter is only three.

"I am afraid I won't be able to have suppers with her for a while," said Liu, referring to the upcoming training and mission.

Xu Xiaoning, a 29-year policewoman from North China's Tianjin, said she only got the news she would attend the training on June 1 and her whole family supports her choice.

Both Zhang and Xu said they believe they could pass the UN examinations and become real peacekeeping riot police in three months.

After the training, the United Nations would select 125 to attend a six-month peacekeeping mission in Haiti, said Zhang Shi'ai, the academy's president.

Besides Haiti, China has sent 253 peacekeepers to East Timor, Bosnia-Herzegovena, Kosovo, Liberia and Afghanistan for peacekeeping missions, said officials with the Ministry of Public Security. There are 55 Chinese police assigned to peacekeeping missions abroad now, officials said.

(China Daily 06/07/2004 page1)