'Red' WeChat messages reach Chinese blue helmets

Chinese UN peacekeepers in the Republic of Mali have been updated of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s ongoing "mass line" campaign through mobile messaging platform WeChat, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported on Thursday.

Peacekeepers, also known as blue helmets, in the medical team are not only receiving messages about the campaign aimed at strengthening Party-people ties, but also about China's annual parliamentary session which concluded last month, as well as other political events and theories.

The messages are dubbed "Red" WeChat messages, as red symbolizes mainstream ideology.

Wang Honglin, political commissar of the medical team, said the messages keep team members updated about news from the motherland and the Party.

The PLA Daily said WeChat has become a major channel for connecting the blue helmets posted in the Sahara-locked country with their homes.

The "mass-line" campaign was launched last June to bridge gaps between CPC officials and members, and the general public, while cleaning up undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.