2 December 2015 Last updated at 00:04 GMT
It marks a major shift in the way China stamps its mark on the continent and will almost certainly be discussed at a major China-Africa summit being attended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of this week.
The BBC has been given exclusive access to the Chinese peacekeepers in South Sudan - the first foreign broadcaster granted permission by Beijing to film them.
For the first time, a Chinese infantry battalion has been sent on a UN peacekeeping mission and more than 1,000 Chinese soldiers are currently serving in South Sudan.