Global Times: At around 11:33, as a Y-20B transport aircraft received the highest aviation honor of a water salute and four J-20 fighter jets performed a solemn flypast, the remains and personal effects of 12 Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) martyrs ā who gave their lives during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950ā53) ā touched down at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. Finally, these heroes came home to rest on their motherland.
The Y-20B transport aircraft took off from Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Wednesday morning, returning them to China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.Ā
At 11:14, the Y-20 formation arrived over the airport and conducted a flyover. Earlier, at around 10:23, the special plane has entered Chinese airspace, escorted by four J-20 fighter jets, according to the Peopleās Daily.
After the special plane enters Chinese airspace, the People’s Liberation Army Navy will welcome the hero home with the highest honors, according to CCTV News.
Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 054A guided-missile frigate Ordos, stationed within Dalian’s LĆ¼shun Port, will greet the returning remains with the highest ceremonial honors of full-dress ship, marking the first time the PLA Navy has ever organized a ceremony to welcome the remains of fallen soldiers, according to CCTV News.
As the formation passes overhead LĆ¼shun Port, the Ordos will also conduct an inaugural air-sea dialogue with the Y-20B. All crew members will render hand salutes, while every other vessel in the port will simultaneously sound prolonged whistles to escort the martyrs home, according to CCTV News.
Earlier on Wednesday, China and South Korea held a handover ceremony at Incheon International Airport for the remains of 12 CPV soldiers, along with 146 personal effects, Xinhua reported.
Xu Yao, Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs, led the Chinese handover delegation, while Lee Doo-hee, Vice Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, headed the Korean delegation, with both attending the ceremony, CCTV News reported on Wednesday.
The mission also marked the first time the Y-20B has been deployed for such a repatriation mission, CCTV News reported. On Monday afternoon, it took off and headed for South Korea.
The Y-20B, developed from the Y-20A, is equipped with a new domestically produced engine, offering extended range, heavy payload capacity, and high speed, according to the report.
After the Y-20B enters China’s airspace on its return flight, four J-20 fighter jets of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) provided escort. The Y-20B and the J-20s are reported to communicate via an aerial dialogue, forming a five-aircraft “Double 20” formation.
The mission’s aircraft call signs were meticulously designed. The Y-20B adopts the call sign “Ronggui 50” (Glorious Return 50), symbolizing the honorable homecoming of the heroes who departed for battle in 1950.
The call sign of the J-20 is “Hongyingā, meaning āred eagle,ā a symbol of inheritance and strength. During the War, the PLAAF, having been established for barely one year, compensated for technological disparities through extreme close-range engagement, successively setting close-range aerial combat records of 340 meters, 240 meters, 145 meters, and 120 meters.
The CPV soldiers also shot down 330 enemy aircraft and damaged 95 during the war, achieving a miracle in the annals of global aerial warfare.
As the final resting place for the CPV martyrs’ remains, Shenyang, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, has also made thorough preparations.
Along five major thoroughfares on the repatriation route, over 3,500 national flags have been hung, local media outlet Shenyang Evening News reported on Wednesday. Themed slogans such as “Heroes, welcome home” have been broadcast through the city. Since Monday, the lighting facilities along the repatriation route, including building facades and bridges, have been adjusted to a “China red” color hue, according to the report.
The repatriation of the heroic martyrsā remains has also touched countless Chinese netizens. As of 10 am Wednesday, the relevant topic on Chinese social media platform Weibo had racked up nearly 60 million views and 4.4 million engagements. On video platform Douyin, more than 300,000 people watched the live broadcast launched by CCTV News.
Netizens also expressed their remembrance and reverence for the martyrs in the comment sections of related Weibo posts. A netizen with the username “zhanxuan” wrote that though he had never met the martyrs in person, he owed them a deep debt of gratitude.
Another netizen named Hongming 777 wrote: āTribute to the most lovable people; we remember history and strive for self-improvement.ā Many others expressed their tribute to the heroes, welcoming them home.
