Remains of soldiers repatriated from ROK

The remains of 25 Chinese soldiers who died during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) are scheduled to be repatriated to their motherland on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

The ministry said in a news release on Wednesday that the remains and items belonging to the fallen soldiers were placed into cinerary caskets at a ceremony that morning in Incheon in the Republic of Korea and will be delivered the next day to a Chinese delegation before being transported back to China the same day.

The occasion will mark the 10th consecutive year of the handover of Chinese soldiers' remains between the two nations. The ROK has returned the remains of 913 Chinese soldiers since 2014.

Led by Peng Dehuai, commander-in-chief of the Chinese People's Volunteers army, a total of 2.9 million Chinese soldiers fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. More than 197,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians recruited by the CPV died in combat.

The ROK began recovering the remains of the fallen soldiers in 2000.

A Y-20 strategic transport plane of the People's Liberation Army Air Force arrived in Incheon on Tuesday and will carry the remains back on Thursday. It will become the fourth time for the Y-20, the best transport jet deployed by the PLA Air Force, to be used to conduct the ceremonial task.

The PLA Air Force said on Wednesday that as soon as the Y-20 enters Chinese territorial airspace, two J-20 stealth fighter jets, the top combat aircraft in the Air Force, will escort the transport plane to show respect and remembrance.

The returned remains will be buried at the CPV Martyrs' Cemetery in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province.

Each time remains have been sent back and buried, the Chinese government has organized grand ceremonies at the airport and cemetery, showing respect to the fallen heroes. Family members and war veterans are invited to take part.