China has sent 130 troops to the peace keeping operations at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

The troops are joining a contingent of 570 colleagues who are already stationed in the country.

The director of the UN peacekeeping office of the Jinan Military Area Command, Ding Feng, said the troops will focus on protecting civilians as well as UN personnel and facilities.

He says they will stay in South Sudan for at least eight months.

China is the biggest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and currently has more than 2,700 peacekeepers posted in the UN’s nine mission areas. The number will reach 3,100 by the end of this year.