BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A 275-member team of Chinese soldiers left here on Friday for an eight-month UN peacekeeping operation in Liberia.

　　They form the first batch of the seventh peacekeeping team that China has sent to the African country. The second batch of 283 soldiers are scheduled to depart on April 28.

　　The seventh team, 558 in total, is comprised of 240 transportation troops, 275 engineers and 43 medical staff, according to the Ministry of Defense.

　　The engineering troops will build roads and bridges and maintain airports and water and power facilities. The transportation staff will be in charge of troop transport and logistics, while the medical unit will care for the sick and wounded and conduct epidemic prevention work.

　　The sixth peacekeeping team, who began their mission last August, will fly back to China soon, the ministry said.