BEIJING: China has sent armed police force for rescue operation in earthquake hit areas after Beijing received an “urgent request” from Nepal, State media said. This is the first time the country’s armed police have ventured beyond its borders.

The first batch of 160 “armed police officers” crossed the Friendship Bridge that links the two countries on May 2. A total of 500 police officers and 180 pieces of road repair machinery will be sent, according to Fu Ling, a senior officer with the traffic rescue brigade of the police.

The visiting policemen were received by the Nepalese police at the border, the official Xinhua news agency said. China has also sent geologists to Nepal to assist in the rescue operation.

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This is a significant move, which was approved by the State Council, which is the cabinet, and the Central Military Commission. The first task assigned to the armed police forces is to reopen the road connecting the border pass of Zham and Kathmandu, which has been disrupted, Xinhua said.

This is apart from China’s military personnel which is engaged in rescue operations, which also include transferring stranded Chinese citizens to their homes. China rarely sends military personnel to other countries except in the case of peace keeping forces of the United Nations.

China has so far sent 56 pieces of large machinery to repair 943-km long China-Nepal highway, which has been severely damaged by the earthquake . A major part of the highway consisting of 829 kms is in Tibetan region of China, which has been repaired and cleared for traffic.

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Work is afoot on the remaining 114 kms on the Nepal side.

Fu said Chinese police officers would observe Nepalese laws and regulations, respect local religious belief and customs, and do their best to aid quake relief.