BEIJING, Sept. 14 -- A Y-20 transport aircraft attached to the PLA Air Force took off from an airport in North China on Wednesday morning to perform the mission of taking back to China from the Republic of Korea (ROK) the remains of Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs who laid down their lives in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the work of handing over, taking back and burial of the 9th batch of CPV martyrs' remains started today. As planned, the remains of the CPV martyrs will return to China on Sept. 16.
On Sept. 16, the PLA Air Force will send J-20 fighters to provide escort for the Y-20 transport plane carrying the CPV martyrs' remains after the Y-20 enters China's territorial airspace. The "20 series" military aircraft fulfilling the mission together is designed to extend the highest salute and respect to the CPV martyrs, according to Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, the spokesperson for the PLA Air Force.
Since 2015, the PLA Air Force has dispatched aircraft to ROK to carry out the mission of taking CPV martyrs' remains home annually. Starting from 2020, the mission has been undertaken by the Y-20.
So far, China has taken 8 batches of CPV martyrs' remains back to homeland from ROK in the past consecutive 8 years. Altogether, 825 CPV martyrs' remains have been returned to China.