A Chinese national flag that once traveled into the space was raised on Thursday in the heart of Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, to commemorate the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldiers who laid down their lives in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) .
A Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport aircraft brought the remains of 43 CPV martyrs along with 495 pieces of their belongings from the Republic of Korea (ROK). The plane landed at Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang at 12:07, and was greeted with a water cannon salute.
This five-star red flag entered China's in-orbit Tiangong space station with the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft on April 25 this year. After being transferred in space and displayed in orbit, it returned to Earth on the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft on April 30.
Previously, this flag had been relayed in more than 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country, including Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
"Our people, especially our youth, will never forget the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for us. At the same time, we also see that the five-star red flag that our heroes and martyrs protected with their lives has been brought into space today through the joint efforts of several generations of astronauts and scientific and technological workers. In fact, it is a better way to comfort our heroes and martyrs," said Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program and China's first taikonaut.
The remains are laid to rest in the Shenyang Cemetery for Martyrs of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
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 from the ROK, along with related artifacts.
A total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers fought on the battlefield, with more than 360,000 killed or injured, during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
National flag once brought to China's space station raised in Shenyang for CPV martyrs
National flag once brought to China's space station raised in Shenyang for CPV martyrs
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has expressed Tehran's readiness for renewed talks with world powers aimed at breaking the long-standing deadlock over its nuclear program.
In an exclusive interview with the China Media Group (CMG) on Dec 28, the Iranian foreign ministry said that opportunities still exist for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, and highlighted that China and Russia are constructive forces in the negotiations.
"It's of great significance that Iran is ready to resume talks on the Iranian nuclear issue. In that year, we held talks with the six countries with good intentions, and eventually reached an agreement. This major diplomatic achievement was recognized and praised by the entire world. We also fulfilled the agreement in good faith. However, it is very regrettable that the United States unreasonably decided to withdraw from the deal, and the situation has developed to the current stage," said Araghchi.
"Now, Iran is still ready to engage in a constructive negotiation without delay on the Iranian nuclear issue, and we hope to restart the talks with the aim of reaching an agreement. We are willing to follow the original comprehensive agreement model on the Iranian nuclear issue, making efforts on the Iranian nuclear program and sanctions relief and negotiate on this basis. We have already held a round of talks with European countries, and the relevant matters for the second round of talks have been determined and they will be held within two weeks. This is the negotiation with European countries. Regarding the negotiation with the United States, we still need to wait for the new U.S. administration to outline its polices before making a decision. China and Russia are constructive forces in the negotiation. Iran believes that China and Russia should continue to play a constructive role, and this is our expectation," he said.
In the interview, he also emphasized that current international conditions pose greater challenges than in the past.
"Almost a decade has passed since 2015, and the world has undergone significant changes. The U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear deal was a strategic blunder on the part of the United States and this was met with a response from Iran. Of course, the United States also expanded sanctions, and the Middle East or West Asia region fell into crisis. However, the diplomatic channel will never be closed. As a diplomat and negotiator, I believe that a diplomatic solution can be found even in the most difficult circumstances. This depends on political will, the innovative ability of diplomats, and whether they can find new approaches and new models to facilitate the conclusion of agreements. If all parties have political will, I believe that despite facing challenges, there will still be accomplishments," said Araghchi.
Iran signed the JCPOA in July 2015, which imposed restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
The United States exited the deal in May 2018, reinstating sanctions, which led Iran to scale back its nuclear commitments. Negotiations to revive the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Vienna, but no significant progress has been made since the last round concluded in August 2022.
Iran ready to renew nuclear talks without delay: Iranian FM
