China will send an engineering battalion on a peacekeeping mission to Lebanon, at the request of the United Nations, according to military sources.

The battalion is formed by an engineering regiment under the Chengdu Area Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), based in Yunnan province, southwest China.

The Chinese battalion, which comprises a minesweeping company, an engineering company, a logistics company and an in-field hospital, is expected to leave for Lebanon in the UN's chartered planes in mid March.

It is the fourth PLA unit sent to carry out overseas peacekeeping missions so far.

In the past, the regiment has sent its men to clean up landmines in foreign countries on three occasions, and 21 of them have participated in such missions.

The members of the battalion have been trained in foreign languages and other knowledge relating to peacekeeping missions.