The Chinese peacekeeping force soldiers face extreme danger in their demining operations in southern Lebanon, as shown in a new China Global Television Network (CGTN) documentary series called "Blue Helmets, No Borders."
One of the stories in the documentary follows Qing Shenghe, a deminer with the Chinese Multirole Engineering Unit, as he works in his demining fields.
"In the past, mines were usually buried less than 20 centimeters beneath the soil. But because soil has been pushed over them, the exact positions of the mines are uncertain, and we are unsure about the depth of the covering soil. While cleaning vegetation and removing metal debris, there is a risk of displacing the mines, which poses a significant threat to our operation," he said.
Qing first served as a deminer at the UN position 1-32A in 2020, and now he leads a team through the same dangerous terrain.
The shifting frontlines in Lebanon make landmines harder to locate. Qing recalled one of his toughest clearance operations, where every step could mean life or death.
"While cleaning vegetation and dead leaves around the unexploded ordnance, I suddenly spotted wires concealed beneath it. I felt extremely nervous at the time, because I didn't know if there were other detonators beneath it. My heart was in my throat. Our work is a rather meticulous task, and it's like dancing on the tip of a knife. An accident could result in serious injury, or in the worst case, loss of life," said Qing.
New documentary follows Chinese peacekeeping deminers in dangerous southern Lebanon operations
