A Y-20 aircraft from Incheon, South Korea, carrying the remains and belongings of 88 Chinese soldiers who died during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), landed at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport on Friday. Representatives from the Chinese central and local government, the military, and family members of these martyrs were at the airport for the welcoming ceremony. Upon reaching Chinese airspace, the plane was escorted by two J-20 fighter jets until its arrival in Shenyang.

Upon landing, the plane received a traditional water gate salute in honor of the soldiers. The remains will be brought to the Chinese People's Volunteers' martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang, where a burial will be held on Saturday.

This year is the ninth consecutive year that China and South Korea have jointly carried out the handover of the Chinese martyrs' remains. The remains of 913 martyrs have been returned to China so far since 2014, when the two sides reached the repatriation agreement.

The Chinese People's Volunteers fought alongside the People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea against South Korean troops and U.S.-led UN forces during the Korean War. In China, the war is known as the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Nearly 200,000 Chinese soldiers were killed in the war, with most of them buried in the Korean Peninsula.

2022 marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea.