China committed to sending 1,000 peacekeepers and doubling humanitarian aid to Lebanon, two moves that underscore the country's growing interest in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported. Premier Wen Jiabao made the announcements during a news conference held with visiting Italian Premier Romano Prodi. China sent 182 peacekeepers at the beginning of the year before clashes in July and August between Israel and Hezbollah. It was the first contingent the country, which has been a member of the UN Security Council for three decades but has not traditionally assumed a big role in peacekeeping operations, has sent to the Middle East.
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