BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A 275-member team of Chinese soldiers left Beijing for Liberia Monday for an eight-month UN peacekeeping operation in the African country.

They formed the first batch of the ninth peacekeeping team that China sent to Liberia. The second batch of 283 soldiers are scheduled to depart on Aug. 29.

The ninth team is comprised of transportation troops, engineers and medical staff.

China joined the peacekeeping mission in Liberia in December 2003 under a resolution of the UN Security Council. A total of 4,464 Chinese peacekeepers have so far been sent to Liberia in rotation, with each mission lasting eight months.

The eighth peacekeeping team also had 558 soldiers, each of whom were awarded the UN international peace medal for their outstanding performance.