A Chinese Olympic champion on Thursday has vowed to carry forward the spirit of Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) who sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953).
The remains of 43 CPV soldiers were returned to China on Thursday from the Republic of Korea (ROK).
A Y-20 aircraft of the Chinese Air Force carrying the remains landed at the Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, and received a water salute on Thursday.
Chinese star skater and Winter Olympic champion Wu Dajing, who attended the reception ceremony at the airport, said these heroes' spirit of fearing neither hardship, fatigue nor death is very touching. Now as a coach, he will definitely carry on this noble spirit and pass it to the next generation.
"These martyrs, these heroes might not have been as old as me before they went to the battlefield. They were the most adorable young people. They fought bravely in such a harsh environment at the front, and sacrificed their lives to defend our country. So we should learn from their spirit, carry it on the competition field, pursue excellence in the face of challenges, and always determined to fear neither hardship, fatigue nor death in the competition field," said Wu.
"I want to tell them that China has prospered as you wished, and this is what we young people want to say to these martyrs. We should, together with young newcomers, carry forward and practice the martyrs' spirit in our daily life, so that we will be inspired and full of fighting spirit every day to do our own work well," he said.
The remains will be laid to rest in a martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.
This marks the 11th repatriation of CPV martyrs' remains since the signing of a handover agreement between China and the ROK.
From 2014 to 2023, the two countries, in accordance with international laws and humanitarian principles, successfully handed over the remains of 938 CPV martyrs, along with related artifacts.
Chinese Olympic champion vows to carry forward CPV martyrs' spirit in competition, life
A 93-year-old veteran of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) remains committed to attending the annual on-site ceremony to welcome the return of the remains of CPV martyrs from the Republic of Korea (ROK), paying his full tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in the early 1950s.
Since China and the ROK signed a handover agreement in 2014 for the repatriation of CPV soldiers' remains, Li Weibo, the CPV veteran, has shown up at the site of welcome ceremony for martyrs every year, dressed in uniform and wearing his medals, to honor the departed comrades with his deepest respect.
"The first time I saw the news on TV, I immediately put on and straightened my uniform, then went to the site of the ceremony. I saluted to honor my comrades there," said Li.
In 1950, at the age of 19, Li graduated early from university and enlisted in the CPV as an anti-aircraft artilleryman. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), the artillery regiment Li served in was responsible for securing the corridor between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Over the course of the war, the regiment had shot down 15 enemy aircraft and damaged 17 others.
"At that time, we had very few anti-aircraft artillery soldiers, but we defeated a powerful enemy with outdated weapons. So the weak overcame the strong," said Li.
After the war, whenever he missed his fallen comrades, Li would visit the martyrs' cemetery to honor them and express his eternal remembrance.
Besides, over the past decade, he has attended the welcome ceremony every year to witness the return of his comrades' remains. He hopes that, even after their passing, they can see the growing strength and prosperity of their homeland in their own way.
"I saw our country using a large transport plane to bring back the martyrs' remains, escorted by two fighter jets. Now, our nation's aviation has grown stronger. I want them to come back and see how much our country has developed and prospered," said Li.
Despite being over 90 years old, Li said he will continue to be one of the welcoming group members to honor the return of the CPV martyrs, always standing straight and wearing his uniform with pride.
"I want to be there to welcome them every time they return in the rest of my life. I will prepare my uniform in advance, straighten it, and be ready to welcome when they come home," the CPV veteran said.
From 2014 to 2023, China and the ROK, in accordance with international laws and humanitarian principles, successfully completed 10 consecutive handovers involving the remains of 938 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with related artifacts.
CPV veteran upholds tradition of welcoming comrades' remains home from ROK
