China, Russia to jointly search for Soviet martyrs' remains in NE China

China and Russia will start their joint search in the forthcoming summer for the remains of Soviet Red Army officers and men who were killed in the battles to assist China against the Japanese invaders in northeast China, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, according to the announcement of relevant departments of China and Russia in Beijing on February 13, 2015. This activity is the first of its kind in the history of the two countries.

The news was released at a news conference held by the Beijing Branch of the Russia Today news agency on that day. China and Russia will all-roundly carry out the joint remains-searching work in May and June of 2015, and the first stage of searching and excavating work will be carried out at the Huoshao Mountain in Muling city of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, according to a preliminary consensus reached by both sides.

Residents living at Liumaohe village, Muling town, Muling city, Heilongjiang province, found four suspected Soviet martyrs' remains and some Soviet-made shells near the Huoshao Mountain in August 2012. A total of 388 Soviet officers and men were killed in a battle at the Huoshao Mountain, according to the Russian side's on-site survey and historical data check-up.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation confirmed that the remains found by the Chinese residents at the Huoshao Mountain were the soldiers serving in a troop unit of the 190th Infantry Division of the 65 Infantry Corps of the 5th Combined Corps of the 1st Far-East Front Army of the Soviet Red Army in August 1945, according to Sergei Orlov, deputy secretary-general of the Social Institute of Russia's Amur State. A burial ceremony for the Soviet Red Army martyrs will be held after the completion of the searching work.

According to the preliminary data from the Russian side, a total of 12,031 Soviet officers and men were killed in the battles to assist China against the Japanese invaders in northeast China. But Orlov held that the actual number of Soviet soldiers killed in these battles is much higher than that. Therefore, the Russian side hopes to get a more accurate number with the help of the Chinese side.

"The joint searching activity is an embodiment of the China-Russia traditional friendship," said Zhang Zhiqiang, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Heilongjiang Provincial Government. "We hope that through the commemoration activity, the goals of memorizing the history, commemorating the martyrs, cherishing the peace and creating better future can be achieved," Zhang Zhiqiang added.

It is learned that the joint searching work will become a large scale activity for the young people and relevant experts from both countries to participate in. The Russian side plans to dispatch 17 experts to participate in the remains-searching work at the Huoshao Mountain, and the Chinese side will also assign its experts and young students to participate in the searching work.

Tomikhin Evgeny, minister counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, held that the activity will promote the youth of both countries to understand the history and carry out exchanges, and help them establish the common values.

The Soviet Red Army troops entered northeast China on August 9, 1945, and defeated Japanese invaders, greatly pushing forward the process of the Chinese People's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.