South Korea returns remains of Chinese soldiers

China today brought back from South Korea the remains of its 437 soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War for final burial in their homeland, a sign of warming ties between the two nations.
A cargo plane carrying the small caskets arrived at an airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, following a handover ceremony between the South Korean and Chinese governments at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul.
Two Chinese fighter jets escorted the plane.
The coffins and belongings of the fallen soldiers were handed over to a Chinese delegation this morning at Seoul.
The Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) fought side by side with the army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, (North Korea) in the Korean War against the South Korean army and US-led UN forces.

Tens of thousands of CPV soldiers died during the war.

The three-year war ended in a cease-fire, leaving the divided Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war.
A "grand ceremony" was held at the Shenyang airport to welcome back the remains of the war dead, official media said.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli received the coffins and praised the outstanding services of the volunteers during the war.
Though it has been more than 60 years since the war, the CPVs and their commendable military service have never been forgotten, he said.
"We hold the grand ceremony to highly praise the CPV martyrs, our deepest thoughts are with them and our highest respect goes to them," he said.

The Korean War resulted in safeguarding New China's security and dignity, and preserved peace in Asia and the world as a whole, Zhang said.