GUANGZHOU, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- What do you do when your armored car has a blowout on Haiti's "road of death?"

    That was the scenario faced by Chinese peacekeepers on their first mission in the strife-torn west Caribbean island nation when they joined the United Nations operation eight months ago.

    On April 16, China's fifth contingent of peacekeepers were assigned to carry out joint armed patrol in the central area of Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince together with counterparts from Brazil.

    They were to perform traffic checks at designated sites on the country's main and longest road, known as the "road of death."

    Wei Guang, the contingent's political instructor, recalled leading the mission.

    "We set out at 6:00 a.m. with the Brazilian peacekeepers toward Cite Soleil in four armored cars. The street we drove through was very narrow and winding and full of garbage, but in the armored cars, we could only go forward," said Wei. "We held our rifles tight and were vigilant."

    However, the peacekeepers found the exit blocked by a grit heap. The first armored car attempted to pass, but the stones punctured its tyres, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

    The Brazilians and Chinese quickly fanned out on either side to protect the squad as the tyres were replaced. When the drama was over, they returned safely to barracks safely.

    Life soon improved for the 125-strong Chinese troop and the last group of 95 arrived home on Saturday after an eight-month experience that transformed both them and the Haitians they came across.

    With the anxiety behind them, they were embraced by loved ones after landing at Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

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