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05-17-2007 18:49

Officers and men of the Chinese field engineering peacekeeping force spent a "cultural weekend" together with the friendly peacekeeping troops of other countries.Photo by Xu Shoumin

On last April 1, an engineering peacekeeping company from an engineering brigade under the PLA General Staff Headquarters, made up of 175 officers and men, left China for Africa to take part in the UN peacekeeping operation in Congo (Kinshasa). Congo (Kinshasa) is a country with sweltering weather, prevalent in diseases and is now embroiled in endless ethnic conflicts. It was in such a harsh environment that the Chinese engineers gave full rein to their intelligence and ability to create a unique battlefield culture in light of local conditions.

Publishing "China Blue Helmets Bulletin"

According to the UN stipulations, the tour of duty for each foreign peacekeeping force is limited to 6 to 8 months. How to record this indelible memory of this period? This had become an issue of common concern for officers and men of the Chinese engineering peacekeeping company. Cao Jinhong, deputy commander of the company and publicity officer Xu Shoumin decided after consultation to publish a bulletin. After more than ten days of busy preparations, "China Blue Helmets Bulletin" featuring the operation of the Chinese engineering peacekeeping forces came into being, which was excellent in both pictures and languages and close to their own life. As soon as the bulletin came out, it was warmly received by the Chinese officers and men.

　Home away from home for serviceman in a foreign country

Around the barracks of the Chinese peacekeeping force, there were peacekeepers from Uruguay, India and South Africa and other countries, and the common mission had brought them together in an alien country. In their eyes, the Chinese peacekeepers were not only intelligent, strong in combat power, but also had first-rate of working style and unique culture, especially the Chinese language. Some Uruguayan soldiers would come to the Chinese barracks to learn Chinese from Chinese engineers whenever they had time. According to Cao, during their tour of duty in Congo (Kinshasa), 6 officers and men accepted foreign peacekeepers as their students.　These Chinese peacekeepers have now returned to China, but they are still in contact with their "students". Jia Chunbo, a former peacekeeper in Congo (Kinshasa) is still regularly sending Chinese learning materials to his "student", a Uruguayan sergeant.

A library set up in a container

In order to let his men "recharge" themselves, Commander Yuan Chunguo hit on an idea--- to establish a library for soldiers. Problem was, although they had brought with them over a thousand books from home, but where to put them? The number of rooms for them was limited and if these books were put in soldiers' dormitory, it would look irregular. Eventually someone suggested putting the books in 6 meters long and 3 meters wide container, which was damp-free and convenient for officers and men to do reading.

With the library in place, every day at lunch break or after sunset, soldiers would gathered here to do reading and appreciated the beautiful natural landscape around the　Kivu Lake.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan