J-20 fighter jets to escort Y-20 returning CPV martyrs home from S.Korea

Making 2023 the 10th consecutive year that the remains of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs have been returned from South Korea, 25 more martyrs and their possessions will be repatriated to China this week by Y-20 large transport aircraft escorted by J-20 stealth fighter jets. Representatives from the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions will be invited to attend this year's burial ceremony, aiming to further strengthen patriotic education and foster a sense of national unity.

The Chinese Air Force's Y-20 took off on Tuesday to pick up the 10th batch of national heroes who fought bravely in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53).

Upon returning on Thursday, two J-20 stealth fighter jets will escort the Y-20 after the latter enters Chinese airspace, according to China Central Television. With "double 20s" flying high in the sky, Chinese are paying a unique tribute and heartfelt remembrance to the martyrs.

A burial ceremony will take place on Friday at the Cemetery for Martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, according to China's Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

As of last year, China has welcomed back from South Korea the remains of 913 CPV martyrs who died in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea for nine consecutive years, said Li Jingxian, a senior official at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. More will continue to be transferred back to their homeland as they are discovered, he noted.

China has made special arrangements this year upon the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

Representatives from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions as well as Taiwan island will also attend the ceremony with an aim to further strengthen patriotic education and unite national sentiments.

The possessions of the martyrs have all been carefully managed after measurement, photography and registration. Electronic archives have been established and assigned to specific personnel for proper safekeeping.

Meanwhile, the martyrs' items are being displayed in various exhibitions, depicting the arduous journey of the war and promoting the unyielding spirit of the CPV.

"In recent years, we have been analyzing the habits, hobbies, and stories behind the martyrs' belongings while organizing them, with the aim to recreate the original battlefield and depict the living conditions and war scenes of CPV soldiers," Li said.

Elaborating on family tracing for the martyrs, Li noted that relevant efforts have been launched since 2020. Currently, the DNA identification of all the 913 remains has been completed across the nine batches. By combining the relics, history, and the DNA results, active efforts are being made to find their relatives and reunite them with their families.

China and Russia sent delegations to North Korea in July to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War.

Warning today's turbulent world shares similarities with the world when the Cold War began, experts said countries including the US and its allies should learn from the lessons of history to safeguard the hard-won peace together rather than adding to the existing tensions with more military acts and provocation.