An additional 130 Chinese peacekeeers are due to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan later on this Wednesday.

The troops from the Jinan Military Command Area in Shandong are set to join 570 of their colleagues who are already stationed there.

"On top of our regular small arms, we are also equiped with light machine guns. This weapon is not only light and portable, but it also has a clip which can carry 50 rounds. The weapon has a relatively fast rate of fire. This has filled the gap between pistols and rifles."

Among the new group of Chinese peacekeepers are 13 female soldiers, representing China's first female light infantry squad taking part in a peacekeeping mission abroad.

Wang Pei is the squad leader.

"We have gone through the same training as the men. We will be carring out peacekeeping missions together with them after arriving in South Sudan. We have no doubt about the success of our forthcoming mission. At the same time, we want to tell our parents that we will definitely be returning home safe and sound."

The 700-member unit is China's first deployment of a full infantry battalion to a UN peacekeeping mission.

China is currently the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan among the 5 permanent members of the UN security council.

There are more than 27-hundred Chinese peacekeepers posted in the UN's nine mission areas in South Sudan.